The Old Republic for Dummies

[Al_Ciao]

I love this thread... great for asking general questions without having to start up a new thread

 

1. I've heard that subs get RotHC for free. Is this true?

 

2. If it IS true, and I sub for a month (thereby getting RotHC), will I still have access to RotHC content and Levels 51-55 after the sub expires?

 

3. Is there a good place that lists the set bonuses for classic comm gear? (Most especially Dread Guard)

 

Thanks

[mimartin]

1. Yes http://www.swtor.com/rothc

 

2. Yes you can still continue it once you have RotHC.

 

3. Set bonus is the same for all Dread Guard as the old set bonuses, the bonus does not change until you go into 55 gear.

[Al_Ciao]

So I'm leveling my crew skills, and I've found out a few things from google, but I'm still not entirely certain where one gets Exotic Crafting Materials from. Specifically, Synthetic Energy Matrix and Molecular Stabilizer. I've heard they drop in ops, but is there a crew skill or other ready source that provides them?

 

They're sometimes available on GTN for mega prices, I do know that. Thanks

[Totenkopf]

Likely not, at least as far as I've seen. Not even sure that a mission discovery would do that. If you could get them from a vendor....they couldn't go so expensively on GTN. Dont think I've ever seen exotics outside of ops, but cant speak for anyone else.

[Al_Ciao]

:/ Thanks for your answer! I was hoping there was a ready source other than ops. I don't like ops for a number of reasons, plus as a preferred player, I can't do them without a weekly pass anyway.

 

Tangentially related to this... Dread Guard gear (dropping in Level 50 ops) is filled with Advanced 27 item modifications. I know Advanced 27's are also craftable... can green versions of 27's be learned and then RE into blue and purple; or are the Advanced 27's ONLY learnable by RE'ing the Dread Guard mods? (In which case, ops would again be a requirement that I hate) xD

 

Thanks for bearing with me!

[Totenkopf]

That I can't really say. I would think that any item you have a crafting skill for should be REable (that's how I was able to make purple 28 augments), but REing can get expensive. I'm pref as well, so RE rate lower than when I subbed. Ops passes can be expensive (300k+ often, though I've occasionally found some around 130k +/-). I don't look for them much lately, so not sure what going rate on GTN is currently.

[Al_Ciao]

You must have RotHC, right? I say that since, IIRC, 28's are level 53. I don't have it, so the highest I can use it 27. I would very much like to outfit all my custom gear with specific advanced 27's.

 

That's why I'm curious if you can actually learn the green 27, and then RE to purple, or if you have to extract the purple from Dread Guard and RE that. I suppose I'll find out once I hit 400 in Artifice and Cybertech. Of course, then there's the issue of finding the mats to make them D:

 

The only mat that actually seems to give me trouble is molecular stabilizers. I'm gonna need 120 of them to make all the mods on my main toon wishlist, and I've only seen 3 of them on GTN, each for 100k creds!

 

I may wind up having to settle for Advanced 22/25 mods or some such. :/

[Totenkopf]

Yeah, got it back in April. I know what you mean about mats......this game isn't the friendliest when it comes to crafting. I barely bother anymore except for lower level stuff and augments/kits. Good luck, I've got a toon w/450 in Cyber, but don't recall if he can make any armoring/mods like 26s/7s. Prob 25s and 8s.

[adamqd]

I quit any crafting skills after my first character, don't even do it for Companion gifts (affection) any more

[Hassat Hunter]

What crafting skill gives gifts? I assume cybertech, the only one I don't have, then?

 

Anyway, I would suggest just subbing for one month to get RoHC. You end up with way better than 27 from 55 HM FP's.

[adamqd]

sorry its the gathering skill that give gifts

 

Diplomacy

Investigation

Treasure Hunting

Underworld Trading

[Eefluxx]

will try to answer the crafting questions as best I can

 

The exotic materials (ie. synthetic matrixes and molecular stabilizers etc.) only dropped at the end of ops. I am not sure if they still do or not. I haven't played a story mode Karaggas or Exsplosive Conflict or Eternity Vault in some time. I do know in hard mode I don't think they drop anymore. You can also get them in cartel packs from time getting 5 or 10 at a time. Other than those 2 places the gtn is about the only place.

 

As far as reversve engineering items to get purples you can go from green to purple on all items up to level 49 if you don't have the exspansion. The dread guard you have to re the purple to get the schematic as well as the classic gear and the old rakata gear you can buy from the makeb vendor with planetary comms.

 

I this helps and I hope I am right on this.

[mimartin]

some drop at the end of HMFPs too.

 

Even the SM 55 FPs drop some.

 

If you are in a guild, ask a officer too. By this time in the progression process many matts are stacking up in guild banks and most will be happy to give you some, provide they have excess.

[Al_Ciao]

Thanks for the replies

 

I have been thinking somewhat about subbing for a month to get RotHC, but I dunno if I'm gonna do it. Honestly, I don't generally care for grouping; I'm a single-player gamer through and through. I only play SWTOR because KotOR.

[Totenkopf]

I mostly got it to reach 55, which I think you need it for (unless there's been a change). You can still SP it as well. Before Kotor I was pretty much SP type games (shooters, strategy, etc...). Only things you might lose out on are ops and FPs.....and H4s.

[Al_Ciao]

Welp, it turns out that Advanced Artifice, which in turn turns out that you need to get schematics 23-25 from your trainer, is RotHC material, so that's a no-go. And there are no 26-27 schematics, only RE'ing those mods that drop in Black Hole and Dread Guard gear, which is not a sure thing anyway. Can't get DG gear without doing ops, which in turn I can't do without subbing or at least a weekly pass, so I'm thinking of doing some HM FP's to drop BH gear in it with mods I can use ^_^

 

Did two HM FP's last night with three or four guildies, and it turned out to be a really good group, and I got a couple pretty nice items. So I reckon this is what I'll do xD

[Totenkopf]

Well, as far as ops go, if you can't afford a weekly pass, see if there's one in the guild bank and then see if you can access it (either by asking an officer or just taking it if you're able----just remember to contribute too. ). Or you could just do a one time only 2 month sub or sub for a month and cancel. That gives you expansion access for free and then you can level to 55. 2 month sub is only about $31 or so w/tax.

[mimartin]

Warning: Beware doing operation.

 

I was like you, didn't care about grouping up for content. That said, my favorite part of the game now is doing operations. So group at your own risk, you may become a group adict. Oh I am not talking about PUGs, hate those, but love doing Ops with the guild and even doing some with other guilds that I know.

[Darth Avlectus]

Slicing hasn't always benefited my other two professions (artifice and archaeology) but I do seem to get some nice missions, schematics, tech parts, and things like that. I can contribute to my guild or sell for some nice creds.

 

The crafting system is unbalanced if not broken I think.

 

 

 

 

Welp, it turns out that Advanced Artifice, which in turn turns out that you need to get schematics 23-25 from your trainer, is RotHC material, so that's a no-go. And there are no 26-27 schematics, only RE'ing those mods that drop in Black Hole and Dread Guard gear, which is not a sure thing anyway. Can't get DG gear without doing ops, which in turn I can't do without subbing or at least a weekly pass, so I'm thinking of doing some HM FP's to drop BH gear in it with mods I can use ^_^

 

Did two HM FP's last night with three or four guildies, and it turned out to be a really good group, and I got a couple pretty nice items. So I reckon this is what I'll do xD

 

Well, I don't know what F2P allows but repeatable missions like heroics will keep dropping stuff. Also, though it's needless, sometimes extra missions in an area simply for materials and items is a way to kill time, get stuff to sell and R.E. when you need it. You can only benefit from R.E. if you use it so use it on stuff you don't give a flip about.

 

I've found that by hoarding stuff (materials mostly) till your artifice reaches about 200 (a second cargo bay), though stressful, can yield a moderately good payoff.

 

Also stuff you're crafting by that point requires minimal investment in crafting supplies and actually everything I have sold for suggested price has sold because people are always looking for general items (crit, power, absorb, defense). Considering 2 thermonic suspension gel is 100 creds, and you sell for suggested market price (about 350, including fee deducted form sale), I'd say that's a small gain not to sniff at. Breaking even was difficult before that point, but now that I get a profit it's worth it. Totenkopf has a point: Max out your gathering skills as much as possible (without putting yourself into the poor house obviously) before working on crafting. If your gathering missions are not yielding a break even, you may have to just grind for awhile before leveling it up again.

 

 

I found undercutting on GTN is frowned upon before I did it too many times. Even though I think it's stupid (if you want to run at losses, and cut your nose off despite your face, IMO go ahead), there is a point that it lowers the overall price expectancy on the market.

 

One would hope their professions could keep them afloat at least as they level up their toon.

[Lynk Former]

I undercut a lot I mean, no one cares if the item is 90000 credits or 89999 credits, just as long as it's the cheapest one on the list, they'll click

 

That 1 credit difference is what gets you the money faster if you really need it quickly.

[mimartin]

I undercut a lot I mean, no one cares if the item is 90000 credits or 89999 credits, just as long as it's the cheapest one on the list, they'll click

 

That 1 credit difference is what gets you the money faster if you really need it quickly.

 

I will undercut the hell out of the market, especially on things I have gotten for free and I want out of my cargohold. I believe all my character have max cargoholds and all are full or 90% full. So I don't want the stuff back, I want it gone. Guess I don't sell enough for people take notice or care, since nobody has ever said anything to me. Stuff usually sells fast too, another reason nobody has said anything.

[Darth Avlectus]

Yeah I don't think lowering prices by small sums and stacks of plebian mats are really going to upset anyone.

 

I don't blame anyone for waning to get rid of clutter either.

 

Apparently even though there are suggested prices, you can still run at a profit and "undercut" the market. I guess THAT is what kind of undercutting is frowned upon. Because it "supposedly" lowers prices of things to a point where everyone has to run at a loss in order to sell them. I don't follow.

 

Personally, sounds to me it's just a bunch of people who whine because they don't know any market savvy. Sounds like a bunch of 'hidden blue line' stuff.

 

I suppose one could run at a loss but after awhile that just eats more out of you. Or so I'd think. That isn't the case here. Not exactly. If you're only undercutting the suggested "retail price" but still running at a profit...that isn't a loss. Unless I missed something.

[Hassat Hunter]

I'm always posting stuff at the lowest price. Unless the price is unreasonable low. But mostly I will buy the insanely cheap stuff and post it for a 'proper' price (and sell).

 

One can make a LOT of credits on the GTN if you know what you're doing.

[Eefluxx]

I sometimes overprice items if I see the only ones left have a couple of hours left on them.

 

 

I do have a question about the ignore system in this game as I have been told different things

 

How exactly does the ignore function work?

 

For instance lets say I put Lynk on my ignore list does this mean he can't see me when I log in or I just can't see him and get messeges from him.

 

Also if I was in the guild and it is the former where he can't see me then can he still see me in the guild when we are both online?

[Char Ell]

Hmmm... What I do know about ignore functionality is that you won't see anything someone on your ignore list posts in the 3 main chat channels (general, PvP, trade) and won't get any tells or whispers from that person and won't get matched with that person in groupfinder. Apparently ignored characters can get grouped with you in warzones.

 

What I'm not sure of is if someone on your ignore list is in your guild () is still visible when they post in guild chat. Also I don't know if you've ignored someone but they've got you on their friends list will get the notification when you log in.