Do you buy crafted gear?

[bks6721]

I've been playing for 3 years but recently started all over on a new server.   I'm wondering how many people buy new gear each tier as you level up.    My "new" main is a 28 wizard and I've noticed that people I group with are either in Mastercrafted or just treasured gear, much more of the later.    Just from random inspections it seems that most just buy one or two crafted items and use drops for the rest of the slots. So.. who makes it a point to upgrade at each x2 level with mastercrafted? I've been stingy with my money so I haven't bought anything yet except food/drink.  All my spells are ap1 except my M2 choices.  I seem to be doing just fine for regular questing but I don't think I could be farming named anytime soon in my current gear.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Barbai]

Well I for one do try to wear mastercrafted armor I am a casual player so it works well enough for me. Then again as an armorer I may have some bias towards the semi cheaper armor as well.

[Booutz]

Personally i buy what  can afford. naturally i always try and have the best stuff that i can get... but as a general rule, and it seems (I'm theorising here) that you can get quite a lot of treasured stuff that sits between regular crafted and mastercrafted items. if you mine rares, hang onto them and using LFW or shoot a tell to the level range channels for an armourer. you will save a butt load of coin arranging a purchase this way rather than just buying off the broker.

[Lortet]

I make almost all my own stuff with a bevy of crafters - and for those I  cannot make my guild has crafters that can - so most of my alts have mastercrafted stuff on, using rares from my own harvesting.

[eqaddict101]

<p>I almost always have MC gear made... Or make what I can.</p><p>Atm though my new little warlock has quested and drops for gear </p><p>and started the AQs today.. but at higher lvls other than the ugly MC </p><p>robes I am sure I will make (she is going to be a tailor just dinged lvl 20 tailor tonight hehe)</p><p>or have made MC armor.. I like the stats on them myself..</p>

[Koilla]

<p>i try to stick to mc gear as far as my gahtering skills and motivation gets me =)</p><p>today in lower levs there shouldnt be that huge problem to get to legendary also. thinking of wailing caves, stormhold, fg, crushbone, obi, runny and so on =)</p>

[Jal]

Buy/harvest for MC gear at most tiers as its a good entry level set of equipment until you loot better. I dont spend a fortune on it if i can help it because it gets replaced.

[Rattfa]

I will rarely actually buy crafted gear, because it's usually so over priced. I will however harvest rares myself (or buy from broker if prices are good) and get a guildmate to make me some. I'll pretty much always have a set of Mastercrafted armour waiting when I ding level X2 It's often cheaper (on my server) to buy Legendary gear and Master spells then it is to outright buy Mastercrafted and Adept3....silly

[steelblueangel]

<p>Most ppl will use master crafted or treasured up to lev 50 and after lev 50 the game choices branch off from casual to raider players. </p><p>The casual player will solo, duo and group and crafted gear along with treasured is fine for that play style. However, if the choice is to raid all of the crafted and treasured is replaced with legendary and fabled armor etc.  So the armor choice really depends on ones play stlye which also includes adept, adeptIII and master spell lines. </p>

[Skua]

Rattface@Nagafen wrote: <blockquote>I will rarely actually buy crafted gear, because it's usually so over priced. I will however harvest rares myself (or buy from broker if prices are good) and get a guildmate to make me some. I'll pretty much always have a set of Mastercrafted armour waiting when I ding level X2 It's often cheaper (on my server) to buy Legendary gear and Master spells then it is to outright buy Mastercrafted and Adept3....silly </blockquote> QFE

[Windowlicker]

<p>I'm working on my third level 70 currently, and I've had a set of mastercrafted made for each Tier.</p><p>It really makes a huge difference in your characters performance.  Do you absolutely need it to get by though? </p><p>Not at all.</p>

[Lasai]

<p>I outfit all of my chars in Mastercrafted each tier.  It suits my playstyle, matches, and is more than adequate for me.</p><p>My main is a 60 assassin in a mix of MC/Fabled/Legendary.  It all matches tho, I have immediately re-brokered many many pieces of clown armor purchased.  </p><p>Despite common conception, I rarely find treasured gear that comes close.  The singular thing I can recall is Ador's Axe being way out of whack for treasured, and I did use that.  A lot of it is just too ugly or mismatching to use for the sake of +1 or 2 to a stat.</p><p>I also level by Quest and Discovery, so I have plenty of time to earn plat between outfittings.  Adornments have really been a godsend to MC armor and I tend to adorn everything.</p><p>Sometimes I have two sets.  When my main turned 40 I bought both Ebon Chain and Leather.. because I had always wanted that leather set.  I wore one or the other as my mood struck me, and depending on what I was doing.  My level 37 brig also has two sets, she's a tailor and the leather set is just better looking than the crapola carbonite chain model they use for Feysteel.</p><p>I also have a Woodworker, Armorsmith, Tailor and Weaponsmith.</p><p>And I will also agree with the above poster.. is it necessary?  No.  People fixate too much on equipment, and a huge percentage of the game doesn't require it.  Case in point.. I was so let down by my Devout Ebon Vanguard looking like fulginate that I actually ran many many Blue con bitterwind trench writs in Luminous Parade Vanguard city Faction armor... with very little difficulty.   Recently I was doing sandcrawler writs on my SK, and about halfway through realized I was still in my "Town" armor.. gee, I thought they were hitting hard... duh.  My guildmates had a good laugh over that.</p>

[Quda]

<p>Well I don't even really look for any kind of gear until I am 42.  The quested, or what ever I find gear is good enough to last a few days, and that is really all I need.  Then in the 40's I buy some common crafted stuff if I intend on leveling my toon, mastercrafted if I am going to be at that level for a while.  I then buy rares at 52,62.  After all those levels take longer.</p><p>But to buy the gear instead of buying rares and having someone make it for you, I never buy crafted gear off the broker.  Rare for 70g, or crafted for 2p, hmmmm.</p>

[EvilErudite]

Rattface@Nagafen wrote: <blockquote><b>I will rarely actually buy crafted gear, because it's usually so over priced.</b> I will however harvest rares myself (or buy from broker if prices are good) and get a guildmate to make me some. I'll pretty much always have a set of Mastercrafted armour waiting when I ding level X2 It's often cheaper (on my server) to buy Legendary gear and Master spells then it is to outright buy Mastercrafted and Adept3....silly </blockquote><p> Thats the main problem as I see it.  Unless you know someone who can make the armor for you, most chances you end up buying treasured cause you don't want to spend a fortune on the crafted.</p>

[Morgane]

<cite>bks6721 wrote:</cite><blockquote>I've been playing for 3 years but recently started all over on a new server.   I'm wondering how many people buy new gear each tier as you level up.    My "new" main is a 28 wizard and I've noticed that people I group with are either in Mastercrafted or just treasured gear, much more of the later.    Just from random inspections it seems that most just buy one or two crafted items and use drops for the rest of the slots. So.. who makes it a point to upgrade at each x2 level with mastercrafted? I've been stingy with my money so I haven't bought anything yet except food/drink.  All my spells are ap1 except my M2 choices.  I seem to be doing just fine for regular questing but I don't think I could be farming named anytime soon in my current gear.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </blockquote><p>I go to the broker and buy whatever I can afford at the time that has the best stats. Sometimes it's treasured, sometimes it's mastercrafted. Many of my pieces are mastercrafted. And I usually update my gear every 10 levels or so. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Ama]

<p>Transmuting has been a double edged sword since alot of good gear is now priced way beyond what it should be.  </p><p>As for player crafted armor it depends upon the circumstances and i'll usually wear adventured treasured since it is better than "Crafted".  MasterCrafted can be on par with some treasured and very rarily on par with legendary items.  Sadly after level 30 Legendary items seem way easy to get and I barely bother with MasterCrafted.  </p>

[deKoven]

If I've got the wherewithal I buy on the brokerage whatever I can find that fits. Not all of the what is euphemistically called "armor" is available and I'm thinking of bringing up my own tailor to create clothes for me. "Cloth" armor for adventurers? Bwaa haaa haha! Even some country bumpkin would know to wear at least a good leather jerkin and some good tough jeans, not to mention a hat that wouldn't be dented by the first passing rainstorm. <img src="/smilies/385970365b8ed7503b4294502a458efa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[azekah]

I search on the broker...sort by price...then work my way backwards from lowest to highest and buy the cheapest gear with the best stats... Sometimes you find some good stuff for like 50 silver, hehe Other times the only thing worth buying is like 50 gold at level 20 and I'm like..hmmmmmmmmmmm...I think I'll just wait for something better to come along. As I've never crafted or even harvested for more than 5 min in my 2 year life in EQII, I completely rely on the broker/guildmates/drops/quests for gear. Idk, I guess I'm just too lazy and impatient to craft/harvest. When I get on I want to kill stuff. But to each his own...some ppl love crafting, and I love buying stuff of them for cheap! : ) Say No to High Prices!

[Ealthina]

Wife and I both make sure we are 100% Master Crafted at each tier.  We are both casual and do not like raid so our lvl 70's and alts are MC'd out so we have decent gear and can at least hold our own with the raiders.  That's for armor.  Spells and CA's we make sure we are at least Ad1 with everything and slowly gather rares for add3's.

[DngrMou]

<p>I try to get mastercrafted gear for each tier, usually starting at 22.  Plan ahead, harvest for the needed rares, and it's not very expensive to have the gear made.</p>

[Griffinhart]

I've always had guildmates keep me in Mastercrafted gear as much as possible.  I usually just have to supply the Rare.   But, I did out level my guildmates smithing skill once I hit the 60's.  fortunately Xegonite armor wasn't too expensive. As my guardian I found that going with Mastercrafted armor was a huge help.  It's almost always better than treasured drops and sometimes pretty close to Legendary. As I leveled my Wizard and Fury, I almost never got master crafted.  Quested and dropped treasured items were plenty good for those classes.  

[MadTexan3]

<p>I'm saying this from the viewpoint of my armorer--I can't put up a full set of T2-3 chain or plate with each piece set at 10s (T2) and 15s (T3) over vendor price (essentially the fuel cost) and have it move. Keep in mind that pricing reflects the time I have to take to harvest the materials myself since if I had to buy them from the broker I would go into the red at twice the markup.</p><p>Accordingly, I try to advertise that I'll craft in that tier for modest tips and if you provide all the materials (to include fuel) I'll even work for free. So far I've had customers pay me more in tips than they would have paid per my pricing schedule above. <img src="/smilies/136dd33cba83140c7ce38db096d05aed.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Regarding the OP, between myself, my girlfriend and my friends we've got crafters to cover all our gear needs and we definitely use crafted gear, from Handcrafted to Mastercrafted.</p>

[Valdaglerion]

Maybe its just me but I upgrade as often as I can as I feel it helps me progress at a faster pace or adds to my gameplay in some other way. I have storage boxes full of old robes and gear I purchased for my conj through the levels. Sometimes you jsut gotta feel the nostalgia.

[Cathars]

Evilerudite@Crushbone wrote: <blockquote>Rattface@Nagafen wrote: <blockquote><b>I will rarely actually buy crafted gear, because it's usually so over priced.</b> I will however harvest rares myself (or buy from broker if prices are good) and get a guildmate to make me some. I'll pretty much always have a set of Mastercrafted armour waiting when I ding level X2 It's often cheaper (on my server) to buy Legendary gear and Master spells then it is to outright buy Mastercrafted and Adept3....silly </blockquote><p> Thats the main problem as I see it.  Unless you know someone who can make the armor for you, most chances you end up buying treasured cause you don't want to spend a fortune on the crafted.</p></blockquote>Items listed on the broker are "over priced" for the reason that theres plenty of people who will pay inflated prices just so they don't have to interact with anyone else.  I promise you, if you take down some names on the broker or just use /who and chat with the crafters, you can get some good deals in your price range.  Lots are under hte misconception that prices on the broker somehow reflect an absolute value.  Everything is negotiable.