While leveing up do you queue for a FP when you "can" or when you reach the "level"?

[loudent]

Subject kinds of says it all. I noticed there is a 2-3 level discrepancy between when you "can" queue up for a FP and the level of the FP itself (e.g. I believe the level of mando raiders is 35, but you can queue up at 33 or something along those lines).

 

If you do queue when you "can" are you generally overgeared because of higher level alts or do you do it even if you have subpar gear for your level/the fp?

[Viperswhip]

All of the sub 55 FPs can easily be accomplished by a team with the slightest bit of organization even if the mission is red to all of them. Having said that, it is beneficial and faster if the tank is on or close to level and of course the dps do a bit more damage. I don't typically queue if the fp is still red though.

[DarthDymond]

For sub-55 FPs I queue when I "can" and if I'm lucky it'll actually pop by the time I've reached the recommended "level".

 

Half-kidding there, 90% of the time I wait until I'm about the level below the printed level on the quest - the only exception is if I'm bored with the questing I'm doing for a bit and want to add a bit of variety or if I hit a natural break in the story (i.e. end of one of the chapters) and feel like taking care of a FP or two before continuing on.

 

Like has already been said, with a decent group that actually communicates or at least all know the FP, they are definitely doable as soon as you get them, so if you personally want to knock em out of the way as soon as they're available and are just worried about having a rough go of it, I wouldn't let that stop you.

[GalacticKegger]

Here's what I found to be a good rule of thumb for determining the effective difficulty level of a level-appropriate flashpoint based on it's color in the quest log:

 

The flashpoint color code applies to 4 player groups who are (a) level appropriate and (b) appropriately geared for their level.

 

Modifications to the level-appropriate rule:

• + 1 color level for a 2 player group whose character & companions are properly geared. In essence grey plays to level green; green plays to level yellow; yellow plays to level orange, orange plays to level red.
  
• + 2 color levels for a 2 player group whose character & companions are undergeared. In essence grey plays to level yellow; green plays to level orange; yellow plays to level red.
  
• + 3 color levels for a solo player whose character & companion are properly geared. In essence grey plays to level orange; green plays to level red. Bring medpacs & petpacs ... lots & lots of of medpacs and petpacs ...
  

 

Are tank & heals necessary?

• For soloing level appropriate grays, either the player character or the companion needs to be a healer.
  
• For 2 players + companion groups, anything green or lower can be completed with either a companion tank or companion heals ... with difficulty. Yellow and above needs a player for both tanking and heals.
  
• For 4 player groups, anything green or lower can be completed without a tank though heals are recommended. Yellow can be completed without a tank (with difficulty) but requires a good healer. Orange or above require both tanking and heals.
  

 

What is appropriate / proper gear?

Gear appropriateness is based on item level score for a character's given level, and item level is based on armoring. The easiest way to find what gear level you should have at your level is to go to a GTN terminal and do a search:

• Category = Item Modification;
  
• Sub-Category = Armoring, and
  
• enter your character level in both min & max fields.
  

 

Mouse over an armoring and you should see an Armor Rating number. With regard to rarity, whites are rated the lowest, followed upward by premium greens, then prototype blues and artifact purples. For leveling to 50 (and to keep costs down) I typically use greens and blues. I also keep my primary companions geared up with greens as I progress.

 

So if your are level 11, mousing over a green armoring displays an Armor Rating of 30. That 30 becomes the minimum item level each piece of gear needs to be for your character to be properly geared for level-appropriate Heroic 4s and flashpoints.

 

I save planetary comms and try to hit level 50 with a full compliment of 100. I then go to the Makeb vendor and start filling out my custom and artifact gear with Advanced 25 (58) purple armoring, mods, enhancements, barrels, hilts, etc ... What doesn't get filled in can be filled in after doing additional planetary heroics for more planetary comms to buy what the original 100 didn't cover. That gives you 140 artifact gear, a nice place to start the grind to 55, and gear enough for 4-player HMs as well as level 50 FPs with 2 players + companions.

Edited December 4, 2013 by GalacticKegger