Big Time Preseason Guide: What is an Hourglass?

TL;DR

  • Hourglasses generate $BIGTIME currency through active gameplay with rarity directly impacting earnings
  • Strategic slot management using Time Crystals enables up to five simultaneous Hourglass deployments
  • Active time depletion requires regular recharging at the Time Warden to maintain income streams
  • Higher difficulty content significantly boosts $BIGTIME yield per time unit invested
  • Proper rarity tier selection and rotation strategies optimize long-term resource accumulation

This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to master Hourglass mechanics during Big Time’s Preseason, including advanced strategies most players overlook.

Hourglasses represent specialized artifacts within Big Time’s economy, exclusively crafted by the Time Warden NPC. These temporal instruments serve as your primary gateway to accumulating $BIGTIME, the game’s essential currency for progression and marketplace transactions.

Before diving deeper, ensure you’re fully acquainted with the comprehensive economic overhaul and new core systems introduced in Big Time’s major launch by consulting our Complete Guide to Preseason mechanics.

Players can acquire Hourglasses through two primary avenues: direct marketplace purchases or crafting via the Time Warden. These artifacts span ten distinct rarity classifications, progressing from Common through to the elusive Unique tier. Each ascending rarity level substantially amplifies the $BIGTIME generation potential, with Unique Hourglasses offering up to 300% greater yield than their Common counterparts.

When deploying Hourglasses during gameplay sessions, players activate $BIGTIME accumulation mechanics. The actual earnings are determined by two critical factors: the inherent rarity of your equipped Hourglass and your demonstrated gameplay proficiency. Engaging with more demanding content—such as elite dungeons or high-level raids—dramatically accelerates currency acquisition rates.

Strategic slot expansion represents a crucial advancement path. Players can equip multiple Hourglasses simultaneously, with the maximum capacity capped at five active units. Unlocking additional slots requires expenditure of Time Crystals, with each successive slot demanding progressively greater investment. However, these unlocks provide permanent accessibility, creating long-term value for dedicated players.

Pro Tip: Balance your Hourglass portfolio by mixing rarities—deploy higher-tier Hourglasses during challenging content sessions while reserving common variants for routine activities. This approach maximizes resource efficiency across different gameplay scenarios.

Many players mistakenly equip their best Hourglasses during trivial content, wasting precious active time on minimal returns. Instead, match Hourglass rarity to content difficulty—save your elite artifacts for activities that justify their enhanced generation rates. For weapon optimization strategies that complement Hourglass usage, explore our Weapons Unlock guide.

Every Hourglass operates within a finite active duration window where $BIGTIME generation occurs. Once this temporal capacity depletes, the artifact enters an inert state requiring reactivation. Players must initiate the “Recharge Hourglass” function through the Time Warden interface to restore operational capability.

Advanced Strategy: Monitor your Hourglass active times diligently and schedule recharging sessions during natural gameplay breaks. Established players often maintain rotation systems—having some Hourglasses active while others recharge—to ensure continuous $BIGTIME flow without interruption.

The recharging mechanism introduces strategic decision-making regarding resource allocation. Since recharging consumes in-game resources, players must balance between maintaining existing Hourglasses and acquiring new ones. This economic balancing act becomes increasingly important as you expand your Hourglass collection and unlock additional equipment slots.

For players specializing in specific roles, understanding how Class Guide abilities interact with Hourglass efficiency can reveal hidden synergies. Certain class perks may indirectly boost $BIGTIME accumulation rates through improved survival or damage output in high-yield content.

Action Checklist

  • Acquire your first Hourglass through Time Warden crafting or marketplace purchase
  • Equip appropriate rarity Hourglass based on planned content difficulty
  • Unlock additional Hourglass slots using Time Crystals for multiplied earnings
  • Establish Hourglass rotation system to maintain continuous $BIGTIME generation
  • Recharge depleted Hourglasses at Time Warden before major gameplay sessions

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