Improvement Items - Grind, buy or don't bother?

Sickburp · December 2015

Hi all,

I'm back on this game on PS4 after a break for a while (other games and people I played with lost interest). Just trying to work out where things are at.

I'm at Level 40 so thought I'd make myself some new gear to last me until I get to 46. All heavy plus battle-axe. So 8 items costing me 16 honing stones and 24 dwarven oil - I have 3/3 on tempering expertise. All OK so far, but I want a full purple set. With 11 grain solvent I did the first 2 items 4/4 for the 100% chance. Gambled 3/4 75% on the next item - you guessed it... Lost the item! Expensive mistake!

I seem to just get dwarven oil from my hireling lately so no help there. I refined a ton of ore yesterday in search of some more but still didn't get any (got 2 tempering alloy though). Based on what I've seen at guild traders the grain solvent appears to be listed at 3000g+ each. Seems too pricey to me, but based on the "how much is my time worth" theory, not sure I can be bothered mining ore all day again.

So, should I just buy the grain solvent at 3000g each or am I likely to find a better price? Should I even bother going purple on gear that is not VR? Thinking ahead, looks like I'll need 64 tempering alloy for a full yellow set - I'm guessing save that for a VR16 set. Another thing, do honing stones or dwarven oil even sell?

code65536 · December 2015

1) Never, ever improve an item unless you have a 100% chance. Never take that gamble.

2) Why are you purpling in the 40's? Usually, I purple once I reach VR1 since the levels last longer. Each color upgrade is equivalent to an upgrade of the level. For example, a green item will have the same stats as a white item that's one or two levels higher. With the speed at which you level pre-vet, it's easier (and so much cheaper) to just craft new gear frequently. Even then, the content pre-vet is so easy and the levels come so quickly that it's usually not worth the hassle of frequent, expensive gear upgrades.

3) Once you're at the VR levels, you'll find that the green, blue, and purple mats become quite abundant, as you get a lot more colored decon trash drops.

Shadowolfs · December 2015

there is no need to craft an epic set of armors on your current level you can save the improvement mats for end game gears. You should enjoy the game, explore the land, doing crafts, learn skills/spells while leveling.

Jayne_Doe · December 2015

Agreed - no need to go past blue pre-vet. In fact, I never improved to blue until I reached level 40 or so. Also, if you use sets, you can get away with using a green set for 5-10 levels. If it starts to get tough, just create new green set gear.

Green improvement mats aren't that hard to come by, so they're hard to sell. Early on, I was able to sell excess green mats, but now, I can hardly sell blues. I use my extra green mats to improve the 0 value gear in Coldharbour, since none of it is owned, and then give it to my alts to decon.

bryanhaas · December 2015

Sickburp wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm back on this game on PS4 after a break for a while (other games and people I played with lost interest). Just trying to work out where things are at.

I'm at Level 40 so thought I'd make myself some new gear to last me until I get to 46. All heavy plus battle-axe. So 8 items costing me 16 honing stones and 24 dwarven oil - I have 3/3 on tempering expertise. All OK so far, but I want a full purple set. With 11 grain solvent I did the first 2 items 4/4 for the 100% chance. Gambled 3/4 75% on the next item - you guessed it... Lost the item! Expensive mistake!

I seem to just get dwarven oil from my hireling lately so no help there. I refined a ton of ore yesterday in search of some more but still didn't get any (got 2 tempering alloy though). Based on what I've seen at guild traders the grain solvent appears to be listed at 3000g+ each. Seems too pricey to me, but based on the "how much is my time worth" theory, not sure I can be bothered mining ore all day again.

So, should I just buy the grain solvent at 3000g each or am I likely to find a better price? Should I even bother going purple on gear that is not VR? Thinking ahead, looks like I'll need 64 tempering alloy for a full yellow set - I'm guessing save that for a VR16 set. Another thing, do honing stones or dwarven oil even sell?

I sell honing stones for 100 gold a piece seems to move reasonably well, blue tempers for 500 purple for 2k and gold for 12-13k. Like I said all move reasonably well. If you are in need of more tempers writs usually seem like a good option at least for me.

Nestor · December 2015

Sickburp wrote: »

Gambled 3/4 75% on the next item - you guessed it... Lost the item! Expensive mistake!

I seem to just get dwarven oil from my hireling lately so no help there.

It was stated above, but if your improving a Traited Item, unless you have a 100% Chance to Succeed, you have a 100% chance to fail at improving it. Untraited items are slightly better at less than 100% Chance.

As for Hirelings, Refining and Tempers. You need to max your Extraction passives to get the best chance of getting a nice temper from refining. As for hirelings, you really want L3 in the hirelings for the best chance to get Purples and Golds.

I spent a few hours one weekend leveling the equipment crafting of my 4 mules to 32 (go to a Vet Public Dungeon and farm loot and pass it to the mules through the bank to decon) so I could have L3 Hirelings. It makes a big difference. However L2 Hirelings are pretty good about returning Purple and occasional Gold Tempers too.

leepalmer95 · December 2015

I've never bothered purpling any item if its not max lvl e.g. v16 nowdays.

It's too much of a cost for the smallish increase you get.

Just blue everything until your vet 16 ^^

Sickburp · December 2015

code65536 wrote: »

1) Never, ever improve an item unless you have a 100% chance. Never take that gamble.

I've said that to myself a few times now. One day I'll learn.

Nestor wrote: »

As for Hirelings, Refining and Tempers. You need to max your Extraction passives to get the best chance of getting a nice temper from refining. As for hirelings, you really want L3 in the hirelings for the best chance to get Purples and Golds.

I spent a few hours one weekend leveling the equipment crafting of my 4 mules to 32 (go to a Vet Public Dungeon and farm loot and pass it to the mules through the bank to decon) so I could have L3 Hirelings. It makes a big difference. However L2 Hirelings are pretty good about returning Purple and occasional Gold Tempers too.

I'm at Level 41 Blacksmithing and have the hireling, extraction and temper expertise all at 3/3. So should be doing as well as possible with those things. I started with additional characters but just haven't maintained them (not enough hours in the day with a wife and 2 kids). I should look into that again I guess.

Anyway, thanks for all the responses. I thought it might be excessive to go purple but then again I did want it to last until Level 46. I'll stick with the blue until I hit the VR ranks. Hopefully I'll have stacked up a decent amount of grain solvent by then. And no more gambling... honest!

Tarukmockto · December 2015

The only thing I purple with characters in Vet levels is the weapon and chest. It only takes a few tempers and get a modest increase that is almost worth it on those items! lol.