... HM/Ops Schematics aren't Armstech though.

Lots of trolls here but I agree with OP.

I think I am correct. Only crafters can create augmentable custom gear, but this gear is BOE not BOP and doesn't even require points in the skill. I made that distinction because Biochem stims, medpacs, adrenals require the skill to be used. So, theoretically someone with Biochem could buy a custom augmentable gun from me though I couldn't buy their best medpacs from them. So anyone can obtain them, only crafters can craft them. I personally have two augmentable artifact implants crafted by someone else (until I get my rakata implants from daily commendations). And a majority of items with augment slot is only superior if it really were a majority of items, customizable items. I can make guns with an augment slot but as I said, the artifact versions may offer nice secondary stats, but laughable primary ones. A combination of high secondary stats and primary stats needs to be available. That is the solution to the current situation. As we've seen, custom armors don't have augment slots, so we are left with even lower primary stats. I don't think that having a majority of artifact augmentable gear is superior to custom gear with easily obtained level 50+ artifact mods. I thought that HMs and Ops would resolve this, but schematics for Armstech don't even drop in HMs or Ops from what I've seen. And again, the chances of crafting my custom gun The Garrison with an augment slot are so slim that it is not worth it compared to the rakata biochem items which does not require such a potential waste of biometric crystal alloy.

I've been watching this thread closely but haven't commented. Excellent theories thus far. I can't help but still doubt that the white is in-game despite the screen shots. To me it sounds like that person asked where you saw/heard of it, looked it up online, and used the infamous white-pvp-beta video as confirmation for you, lol. But considering the ridiculous process to get magenta it's very possible that it is sitting there, laughing at us. Do we know who discovered the magenta method? I recall the hint, 273. But how did they think to implement its opposite, Tatooine, when finding it? As such, why no hint this time? It is also possible that this time we don't get a hint (at least for awhile). Also, isn't finding the schematic of magenta how curiosity was peaked in the first place? White may likely need a schematic too. So to get any help maybe we need to find the schematic first. But where would this schematic be? gamewise from a world boss (or at least operation) lorewise from a krayt dragon. Yet logic didn't help too much with magenta. the hint is actually misleading since one must start in tatooine. Additionally, the process for the material needed in the magenta schematic matches white more than magenta. If they are parallel methods, I would think the schematic is a drop, and the mat is a process. but they may not be similar at all. I realize this isn't helpful, now I will try to be. 1. I and other members of my guild have killed the Belsavis "miniboss" on multiple occasions and he doesn't drop any schematics or crystals (that said, we have killed primal destroyer multiple times and have yet to get a schematic). I checked the room too, but didn't look for anything out of the ordinary, just chests, so i may look again. 2. Would the codex relay any hints? I realize there is a lot of it, but to unlock the codex you have to do scavenger hunts, and that fits the parameters of getting the magenta crystal. I will start looking through codex but don't have all of it unlocked. It just seems like a huge avenue we haven't considered.

I think the thread is asking if a patch altered the rate of RE, but this quote is much more important! It has always been "broke." The first customizable gun you ever get in game, the FIRST one, will be better than your artifact augmentable crafts by 50. The crafted one may have more secondary stats (shield, absorb, defense, etc), but not enough to counter the primary stats (aim, endurance, damage) that item modifications, and thus custom items, give.

I spent millions to get the artifact tanking level 50 veracity galactic blaster rifle. That's right millions in credits alone from sending my comps on missions, that isn't even including the opportunity cost or cost of the materials themselves. someone else may have gotten it on their first try from both green to blue and blue to purp. I can't tell you if it should be different, but I certainly want it to be harder for others, but easier for me. I totally understand where you are coming from. The reason i have little opinion on changing the RNG is because in the end it doesn't matter much, I get a TON of secondary stats from the artifact augmented, but customizable gear ends up being able to get so much more endurance, aim, and damage that those secondary stats don't matter and i effectively wasted all my creds for nothing since no one would even buy my blasters knowing that their custom they bought with commendations puts it to shame.

I would at least go through your class mission line until it takes you to tatooine, it is pretty easy if you skip the optional missions on previous planets and just do class ones. Otherwise you will miss out on the class story, and some end game content (belsavis bonus series at least) depends on having finished the class missions.

Armstech After reverse engineering millions of credits worth of resources on the level 50 tanking blaster rifle (which is incredibly hard, you have to RE the exact stats you need, in my case Veracity Galactic Blaster Rifle) I received the augmentable version. While it has incredible secondary stats in shield, absorption, and defense ratings, it is quickly left in the dust by other end game weaponry, or more accurately, custom (orange weaponry) in the areas of damage, aim, and endurance. This is because on the artifact gear that one can make, it's "barrel, crystal, mod, and enhancement" are predetermined. In one run of Kaon Under Siege Hard Mode, I received the Blackstar Squad Special, so that artifact weapon I spent most of my time levels 40-50 crafting, is obsolete. The discrepancy is massive. Compare*: Veracity Galactic Blaster Rifle not custom, only augmentable 202-302 dam, 43 aim, 83 endurance, 26 accuracy, 34 defense, 34 shield, 19 absorption, + whatever augment Blackstar Squad Special custom except barrel, preventing increases to damage 278-417 dam, 88 aim, 143 endurance, 40 accuracy, 23 absorption by switching out enhancement, I made it have equivalent shield and absorption of previous gun. What does it lack? just the defense rating and augment the veracity blaster provides. But look at the difference in primary stats and damage! and the primary stats can still be increased in the gun! *my comparisons are using torhead, so they will be rough, and if not exact they are very close, and at least representative of the issue. TL;DR Crit'ed artifact craftables cannot compete with moddable pvp/raid gear. They may offer better secondary stats (ratings), but are weak in primary stats (damage, attributes) to such an degree that the secondary stats cannot compete. Finally, I craft one type of custom gun and it is level 50, requiring biometric crystal alloy. If this can be crit'ed then one might think it is the way armstech is worth it at 50. However, the number of biometric crystal alloys needed effectively removes the potential benefit of a custom gun with an augment. Edit/PS: Of course, as other parts of this thread mention, custom gear can still be better. Blackstar Squad Special for instance has a permanent barrel, whereas custom does not. But custom gear isn't exclusive to crafting, bringing me back to the point that for crafted gear to be worth the skill, they need additional perks, and like I said, crafted custom guns don't seem to be worth the cost.

I love these exploration focused methods. One thing I would suggest is making future ones more of an investigation. Instead of a hint on the forum, put hints in-game. These would need to difficult of course. As an example, many games have treasure maps you can find. Both the treasure maps and the locations they depict are hard to find. While I wouldn't use that exact method, I think that beating each hard mode FP, or unlocking a majority of the codex, or going light side 5 and then (on the same character) going all the way to dark side 5, or killing every world boss, or etc... should unlock a quest that gives hints at more of these hidden treasures with value matching difficulty. Of course, hopefully nothing added would be as difficult as the original way of becoming a jedi in SWG. Any other thoughts?

I bought the collector's edition solely for in game items, and i will most likely sell the physical stuff. If they allow digital deluxe people access to the CE store, i would like 100 dollars back.

I am glad because i have a final tmrw that i need to study for. Had i gotten in today, i would definitely have failed it. (preordered aug 1st)