NYGM mod uses renown in a more realistic way as a measure of your progress. All upgrades are available and do not require renown. However there is a waiting period of (I think) three months to get each piece installed so you do pay a penalty as you would in real life during the war.
What I did (using gw gold) was to make a mod which I can activate via JSGME to incorporate the NYGM renown ideas into my game. I then use renown to tract my progress in the war. I play DID at 100% and have never made it past early 1943 (June).
