My way from 188 to 250

[Agreu]

I was level 61 when i started (dinged accidentally) so my Int and Str were at 260. Starting from skil 190 i was down to level 60 with Int and Str at 255.

Starting from 188

106 combines (80 culturals and 22 ss bracers) : 189

10 combines (ss bracers) : 190

27 combines (ss bracers) : 191

3 combines (ss bracers) : 192

9 combines (ss bracers) : 193

2 combines (ss bracers) : 194

21 combines (ss bracers) : 195

5 combines (ss bracers) : 196

10 combines (ss bracers) : 197

4 combines (ss bracers) : 198

5 combines (ss bracers) : 199

2 combines (ss bracers) : 200

45 combines (ss bracers) : 201

54 combines (ss bracers) : 202

3 combines (ss bracers) : 203

9 combines (ss bracers) : 204

4 combines (ss bracers) : 205

7 combines (ss bracers) : 206

9 combines (ss bracers) : 207

13 combines (ss bracers) : 208

50 combines (ss bracers) : 209

1 combine (ss bracers) : 210

6 combines (ss bracers) : 211

1 combine (ss bracers) : 212

21 combines (ss bracers) : 213

37 combines (ss bracers) : 214

6 combines (ss bracers) : 215

7 combines (ss bracers) : 216

3 combines (ss bracers) : 217

5 combines (ss bracers) : 218

13 combines (ss bracers) : 219

1 combine (ss bracers) : 220

22 combines (ss bracers) : 221

13 combines (ss bracers) : 222

6 combines (ss bracers) : 223

1 combine (ss bracers) : 224

5 combines (ss bracers) : 225

7 combines (ss bracers) : 226

11 combines (ss bracers) : 227

39 combines (ss gauntlets) : 228

9 combines (ss gauntlets) : 229

4 combines (ss gauntlets) : 230

3 combines (ss gauntlets) : 231

15 combines (13 culturals and 2 ss gauntlets) : 232

7 combines (ss gauntlets) : 233

33 combines (ss gauntlets) : 234

59 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 235

40 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 236

4 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 237

10 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 238

10 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 239

22 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 240

32 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 241

54 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 242

16 combines (2 sickles 14 ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 243

26 combines (ss gauntlets and/or boots) : 244

31 combines (ss gauntlets) : 245

62 combines (ss gauntlets) : 246

6 combines (ss gauntlets) : 247

18 combines (ss gauntlets) : 248

6 combines (ss gauntlets) : 249

52 combines (ss gauntlets) : 250

Total 1122 combines from 188 to 250 (if i made no error with my old calculator). Average rate is roughly 18 combines per skill up.

Comments :

After a very discouraging start it went pretty fast, up to the 230ies. From there it slowed a lot.

From what i read around i think i had a fast enough walk away. At least up to the 230ies.
Would be curious to read some reactions about that though.

None of the 93 cultural combines i made gave me a single skill up.
The whole 62 skills up happened doing ss armor.

My opinions :

1 I think there is very different chances of skill up depending of what you make. I think ss armor have a good skill up rate when cultural armor have a bad one.

2 Consensus is only higher from wis/int/str count.
Never been able to read official message from Verant or Sony telling that (must admit i didn t searched a lot anyway). Maybe true but i have some doubts. So in doubt i raised both Int and Str to max.

3 I was comfortable at "max" stats. I mean i prefered to be at 255 at 60 than like 258 at 61 or even 270 at 65.

4 I raised every stats i could, especially Agi and Dex too... Always in the idea of "you never know".

5 Dealing with a capricious RNG drive you superstitous.


I want to thank again folks who supported me when i had to deal with my so discouraging begining.

[Lixivia]

i'm not sure which culture you are, but you may of just had a hell lvl skill up. I went from 188-193 doing 5 stacks of High Elf cultural combines (1 skill up per stack about). Wis was 305.

i have yet to try SS yet, i'm not sure which would be cheaper (i dont like farming).

[saum]

WOW

Wow ! thats an unbelievable skill up rate in smithing. Way grats to ya !

[Agreu]

It was Ogre cultural armor.
But you maybe right likivia... getting from 188 to 189 looks to be a trouble for lots of folks. And it may just have been bad luck.

I found that farming for SS armor was way faster than gathering the components for cultural armor. Plus making cultural armor needs a lot of subcombines.
I was able to farm enough materials for 80 combines of ss armor a day. Made a day at 120.

Thanks saum.
Finished a day at 249... was frustrated enough.
I planned to gather enough materials for 40 combines the day after. Ended with enough materials for 41 combines...
Of course, i got the skill up to 250 with the 41th combine...

That is not the only story of that kind....
Wondering if some GM was behind... lol.

[Prizzle]

Would have thought you to get the last skillup on first combine hehe

[Oznoyng]

Read http://mboards.eqtraders.com/upload/...threadid=10039 It might give you some insight into what is going on with your skillups.

[Cavel]

The Offical word from SOE about only the highest of Str, Wis or Int came about 6 + months ago durring a Fan Fair that I think Den Mom attended and put some answers from the developers on the boards at that time. It came directly from the designer of the tradeskills and at that time there was also talk of Dex and Agility being used in fletching and Tailoring, that has yet to be confirmed though from what I have seen.

Just my 2pp

[DarkSidhe]

To counterpoint (partially) your findings, I did a run of about a dozen pieces of old dark elf cultural for a guildie. 13 combines, 1 failure, 3 skill-ups (191 to 194).
I have found shadowscream to skill up rapidly as well, originally I thought it was just dumb luck but maybe there is something more to it.

[Naelia]

Would that my luck with the RNG were as good as yours

[Reflan]

756 combines on shadowscream from 188 to 195, and well over twice your combines to 250. You scored big -- grats on your luck!

[Prizzle]

When u create a new character and inspecting every stat, it states that STR is used for smithing and DEX is used for fletching and poison making if those stats are higher than WIS or INT.