Question from a story tourist about gearing chars/companions

[Televangelist]

I'm a new player using the 12x XP boost to see the game's 8 storylines as quickly as possible. I'm wondering how to handle gearing up across 8 characters with as little effort or time spent on anything other than the class story quests as I can; I don't mind spending RL dollars toward that end.

 

What's a general, all-around approach to gearing my characters and their companions on the cheap that will get me through the game's story content solo? Doesn't need to be optimal for warzones/flashpoints/other stuff that I'm never going to participate in.

 

Options include:

 

-Buy a single set of orange totally adaptive armor from the Cartel Market (or GTN + unlock), buy vendor mods for that armor every 5-10 levels with the credits I got by buying Cartel packs and selling them on GTN, re-using mods across characters with the same stats (I'm doing 1 of every class)

 

-Buy random green stuff in the GTN every 5-10 levels for my char and their companion

 

Questions remaining include:

 

-Do I need to be getting the various 'accessories' I see on the char equip screen for my guys, even though at level 20ish so far the game's quests haven't given me anything for those slots?

 

-if I buy orange armor but don't mod it properly, will that be worse than if I just buy random green armor in the GTN?

 

-How character-specific are the mod stats? If I buy that aforementioned orange suit, put level 20 mods in it, can I share that suit around all 8 of my chars when they're doing level 20 content? Or will all 8 chars each have different mods they need?

 

-How do I know when the green gear I'm getting from class quests is outgrown and needs to be replaced, for either me or my companion? What's my 'rule of thumb' for judging when my current gear is inadequate?

[psandak]

I'm a new player using the 12x XP boost to see the game's 8 storylines as quickly as possible. I'm wondering how to handle gearing up across 8 characters with as little effort or time spent on anything other than the class story quests as I can; I don't mind spending RL dollars toward that end.

 

What's a general, all-around approach to gearing my characters and their companions on the cheap that will get me through the game's story content solo? Doesn't need to be optimal for warzones/flashpoints/other stuff that I'm never going to participate in.

 

Options include:

 

-Buy a single set of orange totally adaptive armor from the Cartel Market (or GTN + unlock), buy vendor mods for that armor every 5-10 levels with the credits I got by buying Cartel packs and selling them on GTN, re-using mods across characters with the same stats (I'm doing 1 of every class)

 

-Buy random green stuff in the GTN every 5-10 levels for my char and their companion

 

That depends on what you consider "on the cheap".

 

If you lack credits then you must do more than just the class story. The planetary quest lines and the side quests give good rewards that help with gearing while leveling. 12x XP allows you to only do the class story quests more expeditious leveling but that does not mean it is good for gearing.

 

If you have credits to spend my advice would be to get an orange set and acquire green quality mods. Blues and Purples are more expensive and a luxury. in fact anything above and beyond quest rewards is a luxury; quest rewards are sufficient for leveling solo.

 

Questions remaining include:

 

-Do I need to be getting the various 'accessories' I see on the char equip screen for my guys, even though at level 20ish so far the game's quests haven't given me anything for those slots?

 

You are probably talking about relics. relics can be bought for cheap at the LS and DS vendors on fleet. But the relics for leveling are at best...weak. I have leveled many characters without relics at all. Leveling Relics add some HP (through the endurance stat) and a short burst of secondary stats that do little real good.

 

ear pieces and implants will come over time.

 

-if I buy orange armor but don't mod it properly, will that be worse than if I just buy random green armor in the GTN?

 

YES hands down YES. And orange shell has no stats of its own. It is dependent on the mods installed for stats.

 

-How character-specific are the mod stats? If I buy that aforementioned orange suit, put level 20 mods in it, can I share that suit around all 8 of my chars when they're doing level 20 content? Or will all 8 chars each have different mods they need?

 

Main stats are important:

• Strength is for Jedi Knights and Sith Warriors
  
• WillPower is for Jedi Consulars and Sith Inquisitors
  
• Aim is for Troopers and Bounty Hunters
  
• Cunning is for Smugglers and Imperial Agents
  

 

And never the twain shall meet; i.e. a bounty hunter get absolutely nothing from cunning, strength, or willpower.

 

Secondary stats are a slightly different story, but since armorings, hilts, and barrels are limited to main stat + endurance they are class specific; since mods have main stat, endurance and secondary stat they are generally more adaptive to any advanced class and role but they are class specific; enhancements are the most adaptive but certain stats do not benefit certain roles as much as others.

 

So, in short, you really cannot simply buy a single set and swap them between eight characters, but they will work between the mirror classes if you fill the same role with the mirror classes i.e. tank with Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior or dps with trooper and bounty hunter.

 

-How do I know when the green gear I'm getting from class quests is outgrown and needs to be replaced, for either me or my companion? What's my 'rule of thumb' for judging when my current gear is inadequate?

 

the standard rule of thumb is four levels; if your gear is four levels below your character level it is time to start thinking about replacing it. But with 12x XP that can get expensive fast. With 12x XP I have decided to only upgrade when I start struggling to kill things; i.e. when properly geared my gunslinger can kill a level appropriate weak mob with one or two abilities. If I had to use three or four GCDs/abilities to kill a weak mob...it is time to upgrade.

[TrigPt]

Options include:

 

-Buy a single set of orange totally adaptive armor from the Cartel Market (or GTN + unlock), buy vendor mods for that armor every 5-10 levels with the credits I got by buying Cartel packs and selling them on GTN, re-using mods across characters with the same stats (I'm doing 1 of every class)

 

-Buy random green stuff in the GTN every 5-10 levels for my char and their companion

 

Questions remaining include:

 

-Do I need to be getting the various 'accessories' I see on the char equip screen for my guys, even though at level 20ish so far the game's quests haven't given me anything for those slots?

Earpiece and implants don't become available until level 25ish. The relics require a darkside/lightside level which if you're just doing class quests will never be high enough to get decent ones so forget them.

 

-if I buy orange armor but don't mod it properly, will that be worse than if I just buy random green armor in the GTN?

orange gear without mods is same as being naked

 

-How character-specific are the mod stats? If I buy that aforementioned orange suit, put level 20 mods in it, can I share that suit around all 8 of my chars when they're doing level 20 content? Or will all 8 chars each have different mods they need?

Diffrent class have different mainstat,. Also the orange set will be bound to your charcter so you couldn't swap between characters anyway. you can only do that with legacy gear which you won't have and won't be able to get.

 

-How do I know when the green gear I'm getting from class quests is outgrown and needs to be replaced, for either me or my companion? What's my 'rule of thumb' for judging when my current gear is inadequate?

 

I usually go by a 5 level rule but with 12xp i was over leveled for the most part so sometimes left it 6-8 levels before regearing. I would recomend sorting out a decent set of gear around level 45ish so you can finish the calss story and inevitable final boss fight.

 

 

why a 2nd thread the 15 pages+ in general not enough info?

Edited November 5, 2014 by TrigPt

[DogeDandolo]

orange gear without mods is same as being naked

 

but more stylish, unless you're me

 

Also, grats on finding the New Players section of the forums. Doesn't mean you need to repeat your questions from the other thread.

[MagikFingerz]

As for the "accessories", relics are not really needed or easy to come by prior to top level so I wouldn't worry about those. Ear and implants will definitely help though, IF you can get them for reasonable prices. Depending on your current level, filling one of these spots will often net a greater stat increase than upgrading a piece of your current gear.

 

I think orange gear mods are the way to go, maybe you can get a cybertech/artificer to supply you with some cheap greens by joining a random guild or just asking in general chat. Regarding greens vs blues, I'm currently leveling an Operative and he's still doing fine in L40+ missions with L33 blue mods (caveat: he has pretty good Presence, the stat that improves your companion's effectiveness). Blues will last you longer, but it depends on current market prices or having good source (ie crafter) whether it's more cost-effective to get greens or blues.

 

Other tips: focus on upgrading your mainhand and offhand first, and in your armor get armorings before mods and mods before enhancements if you're pressed for credits or availability is iffy. Higher mainstat is always better than secondary stats when leveling.

[septembersphinx]

A few notes:

 

Almost all orange gear is either bind on pickup, or bind on equip, meaning that you cannot transfer it to a different character if another character has put it on. If, say, you put some mods into the orange gear your jedi consular is wearing, they will also bind to that character. You will not be able to rip them out and mail them to your inquisitor for your inquisitor to use.

 

There is armor that is bind on legacy, that people use to transfer mods from one character to another, even if those mods are bound to a character, they can still be transferred via legacy gear. Unfortunately for you, pretty much all bind on legacy gear requires reputation with various factions that you can only really get at level 45+. There is no way to buy reputation. It must be earned. There are the "Exalted" armor sets which are purchasable for credits, however they are extremely expensive, as well as being bound to a particular character class. You could still use them to transfer mods, but in order to use the mods, you would have to rip them out of the armor and put it in a different orange set which costs credits. Using legacy gear to switch mods around is really only cost effective for end-game raiding gear.

 

Basically, it's best to go into this with the mindset that your characters are going to be gearing up more or less self-sufficiently. It's probably the least complicated of your options. Use the quest gear, and supplement it by buying extra pieces with credits/whatever planetary comms you might pick up.

 

The one exception to the self sufficiency idea is that you could pick up some crafting skills. Cybertech (for instance) will let you craft your own armoring and mod pieces, which you could then mail to your various characters. You will get some orange pieces as quest rewards, so you could just pop these into those. Synthweaving and Armormech would let you craft yourself various green armor, which would be plenty sufficient for leveling. Of course, crafting requires materials, and if you're blitzing through the class stories, you may not be able to keep up easily. But it is an option.

 

I really think you're overthinking this. You want to play, go play. If you need to buy armor, find an npc armor vendor and buy some with credits/ go to the GTN

 

I would suggest going to preferences, and turning on comparative companion tooltips and extended item information, which should help you determine whether gear is an upgrade for your companion. Your companion's main stat is listed in their codex entry.

 

My scoundrel that I leveled through 12 xp frequently had armor that was up to ten levels beneath her current level (usually only one or two pieces at a time), and her companion was even worse off. I pretty much solely used quest reward gear for her and her companion, except once in the late 30s when I used my crafting alts to make a bunch of at level green gear for both her and her companion. You will probably need to redo gear more frequently, as I have the advantage of legacy presence bonuses, and lots of experience in game.

[Dragondog]

I craft new green gear for my orange shell when I cannot beat the NPCs I'm fighting, that ends up being every 15-20 levels or so. Sometimes picking up the green drops I get on the way and use those, unless I want to pick up the comms that drop.

[Adric_the_Red]

orange gear without mods is same as being naked

Almost, but not quite. Being naked is essentially Rating 0 for that slot. Orange gear without modificationss is Rating 8, which gives a few points of armor value. So it is better than being naked, but just barely.