To Aug or Not To Aug?

[agnari]

go get the aug blanks NOW stock up.

IMHO tis best to max skill/attributes out (maybe a no drop items or two depending on questing style, solo or in group ect) till the toon is over 200 THEN start popping the saved up augs as the exp flows.

[Sakkie]

My UA is 183. She has UA, MeleeD and MagicD speced. She has maxed: Str, Coord, Quick, UA, MeleeD.

She started with 10 Focus and 10 Self.

She is a tank when it comes to melee, with MeleeD fully buffed at 525, but her magicD is poor, and she cannot self buff.

My question: Would it be better for her to put her exp into augs, or to spend it maxing more attributes/skills first?

Thanks,

Sakk

[agnari]

go get the aug blanks NOW stock up.

IMHO tis best to max skill/attributes out (maybe a no drop items or two depending on questing style, solo or in group ect) till the toon is over 200 THEN start popping the saved up augs as the exp flows.

[jaclin_ff]

I personally like the no drop... I usually go for those first because well... I like to die! Also on my main archer the burden aug was one of my best I did. I should have done it earlier. Now I can carry all sorts of stuff around! Longer spells are great too since I can self buff. No buffs drop on death is a must for colo and questing as well.

[Cordy]

My rule of thumb is no augs until I have my primary attack maxed (war/focus/self, sword/str/coord)

After that it depends on the situation. When I started doing colo bosses regularly with my lower 4 toons, xp was flowing vigorously and packspace was at a premium so I bought them each the pack aug. Since they were not being played actively, they got spell retention and death items next. I'm currently pushing one of them for the spell duration augs.

If you are actively playing a toon, I would collect gems until the toon can cast 8s well enough to buf.

[Sakkie]

Thanks all, this is a good discussion. Keep the comments and opinions coming.

Sakk

[Lace-Djinn]

Once i hit 125 i go get my gem and start saving for the 8% health gem right away. I want that as fast as possible. From there i go max my attack skill and defense and get my magics to a point where i can buff myself. after that i would normally get no drop buffs but its not really needed unless your guna be doing colo or something like that. After all that its a free for all on which aug i feel like getting next. Inate protects. Crit protect. attribute augs. and so on.

[AggieSC]

As said above, make sure you start getting gems stacked up (even on mules). Regardless of your intentions for a character, you will be thankful you got the gems ahead of time if you decide to start using them.

I have seven character across my two accounts that are 125+, and I always do them all in one night when the timer expires.

As to when you should start using them, it's up to you really, depending on your playstyle. I get the "no drop buffs on death" aug first on all my characters, because I hate taking the time to rebuff. I typically wait until about your level to start using gems to get what I want.

[akronite]

I start getting gems as soon as possible, but i do not start using augs till i hit level 200. IMO at least for me it is more important to have max skills then to have something that is nice to have but not vital. I always like playing like it was 2001 again, just killing higher level mobs.

[agnari]

yes i too favor waiting till about 200, where you've got your toon specific primary skill/attributes supportring skills maxxed, then go with using the blank aug gems.

THE one exception would be based on a SOLO playstyle adventuring/exploring a lot of far off dangerous places at odd hours WHEN nobody else is around MAY do 1 or 2 NO DROP -5 item augs so my IMPORTANT stuff doesn't drop in some impossible to get to impossible to survive in with no chance of recovery.

others like the no drop buffs, me I push a button, and go get a cold one. so rebuffing isn't a problem that 4b xp at lvl <200 goes a long way in staying-alive/doing-damage (ON White Worlds, on DT people probably argue get this aug immediately at lvl 125) type of play style.

[Tiera]

I've only jut hit lvl 191 & have three augs done, but for my playstyle and me personally I am glad I did not wait. As an archer, the burden reduction augs are essential. I also have the critical protection one which has saved me from bad damage and death many times. Mind you, coord, quick, bow & melee d was maxed by lvl 185, with focus 5 (I think) points short of max. Other augs will wait now until I am lvl 200+.

[Sakkie]

Thanks to the advice here, I have gems stored, but have not taken an aug yet. Sakarra is now 195 and I'm thinking about making her a tinker, so I'm very glad I waited. A tinker with no-drop buffs would be kinda a waste of 4billion exp.

I'll wait and max out a few more attributes before I make a decision, since she is a good solo/quest toon, and every bit of exp will help.

Sakk