Upgrading Gear

Hello fleeties,

Sorry for the noobish question, but I honestly have zero idea what I need to go to get gear above XII (randomly dropped XIII). I've been tinkering with crafting, but that seems a like a long way to go. Is there something that I'm missing with gear?

I'm level 60 and to be completely transparent, I'm use to 'WoW styled' end-game content, where you go in and get better gear. But from what I can tell, upping the difficulty of missions doesn't change the level of gear, but gives you better crafting items.

Am I missing? What as a level 60 should I be concentrating on?

Hi aeronine!


With a toon that is level 60, the drops you can get will be mkXII (with the exception of a few mkXIII you´ve already mentioned).

Also, the highest mk level, that you can craft, is XII. But I wouldn´t recommend that anyway. If you´re deciding to craft weapons (or other stuff), then go for mkII (yes, 2!) and upgrade the items from there. *)

The reason for it is: it´s cheaper. You don´t want to craft a mkXII item with crappy mods (which you can´t choose, btw). Just craft mkII until you´ll get the right mods and proceed from there. Sell the rest to a vendor or trash them.

*) There are a few exceptions: omni-beams, for example, are only craftable as mkXII.


How to upgrade stuff

If you look at your inventory, there´s an upgrade button at the bottom left. Click on it and the upgrade window will open. Left click and drag the item into the upgrade window. You can also right click on the item in your inventory.


[attachment=3231]UpgradeStuffLines.jpg[/attachment]


You also need tech upgrades. They come in different flavours, but I´d recommend the superior ones - you´ll need fewer dilithium in the end. Tech upgrades can be either purchased on the exchange, at vendors (except the purple ones) or you can craft them in your schools. Superior ones require your R&D school to be on level 15 (rare level 10, uncommon level 5).

Check the window, it´ll tell you how many tech points are needed to get to the next level - or hopefully (gambling warning, just saying) to a higher rarity of the item - and how many points are provided by the tech upgrade you´ve slotted.

To be honest, if you´re patient, then the better way is to just craft superior tech upgrades and sell them on the exchange. With the earned ec you can then just buy the stuff you want. I would only upgrade items which can´t be bought, like... no idea, embassy sci consoles, spire tac consoles or reputation gear.

I hope that helps?

Greetings, A.M. :)


Edit: I´ve found this (you have to scroll down):

https://ufplanets.com/showthread.php?51270-Guide-Epic-Gear

I hope it helps you to decide if upgrading an item is worth it. :)

Nice guide, Andrea! Here's a tip I wish I knew right when I strated upgrading:

If you're looking to get gear to level XIV that you could ALSO get at level II [like weapons, some consoles -- there are some things only available at higher levels and you have to keep trying to upgrade over and over until you proc (e.g. spiral waves, fleet consoles, etc.)], start with level 2 purples and upgrade from there. You'll have a better chance of having the rarity turn Gold before it hits MkX, where it will take longer to do so after that mark.

For instance, I invested in Mk II Very Rare (purple) turrets, in an attempt to upgrade to gold. If they were not gold by level VIII, I sold them. It took about 7 tries to get 3 gold turrets by level X. The 4 ultra rare turrets I sold at level X still got me some EC back.

Cheers,

Brandon =/\=

Thank you so much for writing this! I was completely lost but this gives me a clear understanding of how the upgrading system works. Appreciate the time you took to write this!

@aeronine: anytime^^

@Bran: thx for adding this important part :)

"To be honest, if you´re patient, then the better way is to just craft superior tech upgrades and sell them on the exchange."

Pretty much my strategy. I may be losing money doing this vs. making my own weapons, but I prefer to leave Mod Roulette to people who enjoy gambling.