Seeking equipment advice

[__________CobaltWyrm]

With the IPR looming in the not-too-distant future, I figured now was a good time to start asking for advice. My OT Solitus Adventurer is level 29, with some wasted IP in pistol skills from earlier, currently using an OT Sword in the mainhand with a Rider Executioner in the offhand. I like the combo because the OT Sword provides smaller but faster hits (for some damage consistency) with Sneak Attack and Fast Attack for extra damage, and the Rider Executioner provides slower but bigger hits (for the chance of a heavy blow that will suddenly end the fight) with Brawl for extra damage.

I enjoy sneaking around in leetform, and my only regret is that Sneak Attack isn't more effective. I chose a Solitus Adventurer because I want to be well-rounded: good at soloing, good at grouping, good at sneaking, good at damage-dealing, good at tanking, good at healing, better than any other class at rolling around the ground as a bug-eyed furry little critter.

The thing is, I don't know what it's like at high levels, most of my experience was partnering with a doctor or soloing (not large groups), and a lot has changed anyway since the last time I played. (I kept my account open since I enjoyed my time in Rubi-Ka, but I tried out DAoC for variety, and then I got burned out and stopped playing any computer games at all.) These are the issues:

1. I want to be able play healer when I have to. Do melees have to move around a lot in groups in order to stay in range? Should I switch to a ranged weapon?

2b. There was an intriguing weapon at the time I stopped playing, a super-slow energy assault rifle with Aimed Shot called the Supernova, that looked like it packed a massive punch. Is it any good, maybe in a swappable combo with the venerable Nova Flow, or is it just a waste of IP?

2a. I want to be able to hold aggro when I have to. I'm willing to spend the necessary IP for good damage output, but there's no point in being wasteful, if a cheaper combo is just as effective as a more expensive combo. Don't let my current setup or my question about the Supernova prejudice you: I'm open to any suggestion, no matter how odd or unusual. The only qualifiers are that I like sneak-based specials (for no reason that I can put into words...maybe it just gives me an excuse to turn into a leet?), and unless there's a readily noticable deficiency in effectiveness, I'd rather have something that looks good while it dishes out the damage.

3. What armor would you recommend to go with the weapon combo you recommended? I was focusing on str/sta armor, and it looked like there were some really good options in that line at higher levels (at least for OT). It seems most efficient to use armor that requires the same stats that boost your weapon skill, so I might want to switch armor if I switch weapons, right?

Thank you in advance for any insight that you can give.

[_____________Mr Bean]

Let me break it up in a few things


1. Hell Yes, only way to say that

2a- IP sink like nobodys business as Supernovas are basicly Ranged Hammers they hit hard but have insanly slow attack speeds, Which gets you killed

2b. The cheapest way to do Good amount of Damage and Hold the Arrgo is to get yourself a Shotgun, The Vector takes on skill has no special and with a crit buff with get a mob VERY mad at you, cheepest good weapon in the game IP wise, If you still want to sneak get an Ithica, Basicly a Vector 1/2 with 2x speed and two specials, aimshot and Fling

3. Breaking it down into classes

Strg/Stamin
Organic(imo near best armor in game as nothing attackins with heat or col besides nano-techs and they always hit for alot)
Vito-Weak Vs Heat and Rad
Titan- Weak Vs cold and Chem

Strg/Agi
Primus, Weak VS Raidation
Flowers Tech, Same
Kevlar- Weak Vs Radation and Heat

Psy/Sence
Waitt- Weak Vs Diesease
Nanotech-Weak vs chem(BAD!)
Biomech-Adds to First Aid and Treament, Best Armor In the game I think can't remeber what is weak aginst


hope this helps

[______________Jypsie]

1. Yeah, you move alot. One thing I have to beat into folks heads is that if they get aggroed and are getting eaten, do not run outside a room, or they are not getting healed. LOS (line of sight) issues.

2a. Get a Aggro Enhancer. Doesn't need to be top of the line, but decent, so you don't have to continually pump points into Psychology. I use fast, low damage weapons. Agrro Enhancer+constant damage+damageshields= I get aggro when I want it. Use your team heals as a "mongo" effect.

2b. I know nothing about the Supernova, sorry.

3. My experience is with Agi/Str armor. In my opinion, best to go that route since Decus coats are great back slot armor, the Str/Sta equivilant Tank eats your nanos bad. Bean's on the money except for one correction. Flower's is very good against Radiation, its weak against Disease. Decus (Primus) is weak against Rad, but strong v. Disease. I recommend a Decus/Flowers mix.

[__________CobaltWyrm]

Thank you very much for your responses! I've read good things about the Ithica elsewhere, and it meets my sneak special requirement, so I think I'll try it.

According to this armor chart, Organic is weak against radiation, so you may have been thinking of Omni-Pol (or it's wrong, who knows when it was last updated). It also lists Biomech as Psy/Sta and weak against radiation. But, it doesn't show str/sta tank armor or Decus cloaks. So, I have a new round of questions!

1. How important is radiation AC? Since Psy is 70% for nano pool and Sta is 100% for body dev, I would be comfortable with aiming for Biomech instead of using str/agi armor to match the shotgun. But, only if radiation AC doesn't matter too much, or the treatment and first aid bonuses are significant enough to make it worth it. I have to admit, though, I'm terribly excited about that path because of the huge gap between Raven and Biomech.

2. How important is back armor, like the Decus cloak? What kind of stats or other effects do the tank armor and cloaks have?

3. There are people who would wear a polka-dot tutu over a burlap sack if it was an uber combo, but I'd rather not look silly or ugly just to have good stats. Which one do you think looks best: full Omni-Pol, mixed Omni-Pol and Omni-Pol Elite, mixed Flower and Decus, full Biomech, or mixed Biomech and Raven?

<edited to fix vB code>

[______________Jypsie]

1. Rad AC is important from 60+. I don't know about how often 100+ folks fight against it, but I hear that it's alot. Nanofreaks (Lifestealers, Fatestealers, Chaos Minions, etc.) hit for Rad damage and they hit HARD.

2. Back armor is important. Get some. I love the day I got my first cloak. The only thing I would give it up for would be for a Robust Backpack, and that adds to AC , so it counts as back armor. Decus cloaks are just armor, there is a Biomech cloak that is armor and bonuses to Treatment and First Aid. Then there is the Tank Armor which adds alot to AC but doubles the cost of every nano you cast while wearing it. Ick.

3. Looks are a subjective thing. I love the look of full Omni Elite and Tank over it, but would never wear it. I hate with a passion the look of Flower's Tech. But, I wear a mix. The Primus Decus cloak covers most the body only showing my hands and feet, which are both Primus gloves and boots. My chest, legs and arms are Flowers Tech, but no one ever see's that. I get the mix without becoming some mixed up fashion victim. The Primus Decus look is a sharp but not a unique one on Rubi-Ka, so I don't look special or anything.

[__________CobaltWyrm]

Do cloaks come in different QL like other armor, or would I only have to meet a single target to wear a particular cloak? Basically what I'm asking is whether it would be practical to wear a Decus cloak with Omni-Pol armor, since at least they both use str.

[______________Jypsie]

Your back armor starts showing up about 50th QL. Yes, they vary in QL. Biomech and Tank can be bought at Superior Stores for outrageous prices, Decus Cloaks are loot/mission reward only. I have seen some very rare 30ish+ Decus Cloaks for sale by players, but it is rare.

Oh yeah, there are also Nano Cloaks, forgot about them. Iny/Psi armor. Not really an option for your direction.

I know lots folks that mix Str/Sta armor, like Elite, with a Decus (Agi/Str) Cloak over it. It is very doable. Many do it since Tank Armor started restricting nano casting.

[Ashuras]

I used to wear tank armor before those Decus coats become available.

I had to hotkey that Tank armor, becoz I have to REMOVE it before casting my heals during combat. (and then put it back on after that)

If u dont do this, u'll run out of nano VERY fast and usually end up dead.

With those decus coats... I've never tot of going back to tank armors anymore. (I still keep a set of various types/color to wear for "fashion" )

[__________CobaltWyrm]

You guys are awesome!

[Inocybe]

As a healer, never ever use tank or battlesuit armour.
However, if you intend to go for looks and forego the healing way, that's your perogative ... just be aware that healing is one of strongest features of this profession and if you don't make use of this, you might as well have re-rolled an Enforcer if you wanted to bash things up or a Soldier if you wanted to shoot things to shreds

It is not necessary to use aggro-enhancers, it's a waste to put points into psychology skill which is not cheap for Advy. If your Advy is of sound constitution and can handle aggro, you can make do with the general aggro nanos (available at the general nano shop). These however, work up to some point.

If your teammates are lower level than you, your heals, your weapon and your up-to-date damage shield (believe or not) will manage to steal aggro. If your teammates are higher level than you, it is most likely your team is doing a higher level mission - in which case you shouldn't try to take aggro as your main job is to stay alive and keep teammates healthy which in turn means everybody stays alive -- exception to this is if you are extremely well-built and well-equipped to tank and your nano init is high enough that there is very little chance for mobs to interrupt your healing.

You must understand - at high levels, some mobs can hit so fast and so hard, they are capable of interrupting your heals. So if you want to take and hold aggro in a team - then you must realise what you are heading for and be prepared for it.

[_____________Mr Bean]

Just wanted to add a few things

Senpai Tetrius Decus(Armor Coat) starts at QL 25 and runs all the way up to QL 200, At QL 50 Secudus Tetrius starts(Difrrent colors better AC at that lvl then Senpai) after a few more lvls(Lvl 70) Primus Tetrius starts, Best AC Cloak in the game only Weak aginst Rad and has a nice blue on blue color scheme.


BTW Tank Armor adds no more AC than a Tetirus Coat as you can see in the enfocer forums as they hate that.

[________________Miir]

Senpai Tetrius Decus(Armor Coat) starts at QL 25 and runs all the way up to QL 200, At QL 50 Secudus Tetrius starts(Difrrent colors better AC at that lvl then Senpai) after a few more lvls(Lvl 70) Primus Tetrius starts

Just a slight correction

The type of armor is called Decus.
(Similar to the different types of Omni Pol...elite, desert, forest, etc)

It comes in 3 varieties.

Tertius (25-200)
Secundus (50-200)
Primus (75-200)



Quality level over 100 is called Hanshi.
Quality level below 100 is called Senpai.
(much like sub 100 Omni Pol is called Recruit Issued and 100+ is called assault issue)

[Snuble]

Should I start camping mission boots for these, or are they random drop?

[_____________Mr Bean]

Mission pickup items normal, Set it to max money max bad and normal you find them either as return items(Yeah @%% right like I'm giving this up ) Or as pickup items


BTW thanks for the corrections

[_____________Psyphen]

Originally posted by Snublefot
Should I start camping mission boots for these, or are they random drop?

I've only found 2 coats so far. Both were from missions where I had to return them to get the money/exp/reward. I decided to keep the coats instead. I only do Bad/Money missions. Maybe others find them more frequently using different settings.

"Sorry, I failed the mission. This? No, it's not new. I bought it off someone the other day...ya..."



Psyphen

[_______________ulala]

got my first senpai coat at lvl 30...then didnt get another one in a mission until lvl 60. they are awesome i remember when i found my first one being so impressed with it hehe