Comms or Gear?

[MSchuyler]

When "reward" time comes you must select a commendation or gear. Often there are two copies of the same gear. Also, about half the time the gear is no better than what I have. BUT half the time it is a little bit better, never dramatically so. Yet you can trade comms for gear at a shop.

 

So the question is, is it generally better to accept commendations rather than take the gear? Or is it a 6 of one, half dozen of the other situation?

[Ridickilis]

When in doubt like this I always go for the coms, especially now that the planet coms are universal. So even if you out leveled the planet you can go to fleet and get mods from planets you haven't been yet and get on-level mods and gear.

 

The only times I select gear rewards is, if it's orange and I don't have an orange mod-able piece for that slot already.

Edited April 16, 2013 by Ridickilis

[PhoenixFyrelO]

I'm guessing you're talking about pre-50 quest rewards involving Planetary Comms.

 

I will take the commendations most of the time because the green gear is useless or will be in 1 hour of playing. By doing most of the missions on a planet you end up with around 30+ to spend on new orange gear or mods.

 

The exceptions to this:

-If I already have tons of comms from running Group Finder flashpoint daily. Then I chose the lockbox.

-The quest offers an Armoring, Mod, or Enhancement as a reward and they have good stats (NOT Crit/Shield Enhancements ***?)

-An Orange piece of gear with A) a unique look, or B) for a slot I don't have yet, is offered

 

Now 2.0 changed it up so that all leveling comms are rolled into Planetary Comms with a limit of 50. So you can also save up comms from a previous planet if you have gotten all the upgrades you care about.

[psandak]

While leveling there is also the companion gear to consider. If the reward is companion gear, in my experience, it's gonna be an upgrade and you should not neglect your companions.

 

Also, the gear might look the same, but the stats are different.

[Ridickilis]

^^Yes, this is true as well. Don't neglect companions.

 

Though, in my experience you can usually gear up a companion through the GTN buying on level green gear really cheap, so that's also something to consider. I usually stop by the GTN every few levels for that reason.

[VigDiath]

I go for Comms and use the comms to level myself if badly needed or my Companions.

[Heezdedjim]

On your first character, you will usually come out ahead by taking the gear rewards. You get reasonably well scaled green gear for both you and your companion, and if you're doing everything on each planet, you should have all of your gear and one companion fully refreshed with level appropriate kit by the end of the planet.

 

If you take the comm rewards, you usually only get 1 comm per quest. So in seven quests, you could either get enough commendations for one blue armoring to put in one piece of armor, or you could get seven pieces of green level appropriate gear (a full set of new armor). You will get far more boost to your total stats from taking the seven pieces of new green gear vs. one blue item modification for only one piece of gear.

 

Once you have crafting alts that can make all your armorings, barrels, and mods for you, then you will usually be ahead taking comms instead. I have maxed out cybertech and artifice crafters, and I make a full set of new blue armorings, mods, and enhancements every four levels while leveling up. My moddable gear is always far ahead of the quest reward I would otherwise get in basic stats, so I just take the comms and save them up to buy the occasional piece of orange gear, or I cash them in for mods and sell them on the GTN.

[Ridickilis]

^I would agree if green gear on the GTN was pricey, but for level 10-30 stuff you're talking 500-2000k credits per piece. Sometimes I even find blue/purples really cheap. Taking the coms to fill out your few pieces of orange gear and using the GTN to fill in the rest of your slots until you get modables is really the way to go. I had 37 coms the last time I left corrusant without ever doing a heroic. You randomly get coms in drops for loot as well, so combining those with the rewards for turning in quests, they start to add up fast. Also the 4 tier bonus mission completions usually net 3 comms.

 

The times I would pass up on coms is when an actual mod, enhancement of armoring is offered, then I take those. That's a no brainer, one com or one mod that I would have to spend 2 coms on. Armorings are usually tied in with a three com reward so you'll still make out taking the armoring.

[Lemmit]

I think getting a full orange upgradeable set and getting / making coms every 5 levels is best.

[RogueDemonhunter]

Coms! Coms! Coms! Unless the gear is a blue that massively outstrips what you or fav pets are using currently or is filling an otherwise empty slot (early levels). Or... it's a lovely orange with mods in you or pets can use either in the item itself or stripped from it... Or it's a totally awesome looking orange piece you can see yourself or your pet wearing for some time to come while flippin' the mods as you level.

 

Because it looks awesome.

 

Pre 19 if they offer you an earpiece or head or pre 23 a implant... and your corresponding slot is empty or a pets slot is empty (even if the wrong -battle- stat it will still give the pet or you endurance) usualy these rewards are keyed to your main stat though. Take those.

 

Named Pet green rewards: Personally, unless it is moddable avoid like the plague. I have never been rewarded with a named pet green that was better then what could be snagged off the GTN for a resonable price and with slightly better stats.

 

Good luck with your own choices.

 

Also now that the planet coms are carried with you to the next and the next and so on planet for use they are even more useful then before. The fact that they cap at 50 max to carry at a time is a tad annoying but livable. Remember to spend a little as you go. Have 40 or more when you hit Makeb though... Trust me. Save you a little running arround. Not much but a little.

 

As for the Makeb greens? I don't know... I've just begun that content myself.

Edited April 17, 2013 by RogueDemonhunter

[Stressfire]

I always went for the coms to buy modifiable gear myself. I run a lot of FPs for gear, so what I had was almost always better than what the quest gave.

 

As for the Makeb greens? I don't know... I've just begun that content myself.

 

They are OK. So far, nothing dropped has been better for my Sniper than her Tionese (which she snaked off the vendor the night before the servers went down:p). But it's been pretty good for filling in those hard to fill slots on some comps who didn't see much action.

[CRCrimson]

I have a quick question that is slightly off-topic. As a high level (55) player, is there a fast way to grind planetary commendations so I can buy armorings / mods / enhancements for my alts?