Armorsmith Archive

I know this was probably in another thread somewhere but I couldn't find it. With experimentation, is it true that your total points in it are only good once per schematic (i.e., once you use them all, you cannot experiment on that schematic anymore)? Two--when you "fail", is it possible to make the item worse than it was? And three--does the experiment permanently alter the schematic? Sorry for the noob-ish questions but I haven't logged many hours yet and if I decide I don't like the the experimentation system, I want to switch to Mon Cal (sooner rather than later) for the weapon/structure bonuses instead.

sal,
i'll answer as best i can.

one: if you have 4 experimentation points and you assign 2 to damage and hit run experiment, then assign 2 to efficiency and hit run experiment, you can no longer experiment on that object since you have used all 4 of your points.

two: you can absolutely end up with an item worse than when you started. there are critical failures that can knock a lot of quality off.

three: when you are done experimenting, you have to choose whether to make a prototype or schematic; schematics can be added to factories so the item can be mass produced. if you mean, 'do the changes i make this time stick around for the next time i build this item?', then the answer is no. each time you build an item you are starting from square one.

hope this helps.

nils

Can someone explain which item properties are effected by which experimentation categories? What does 'Quality' experimentation actually change?Which thing should I experiment todecrease the HAM encumberances?

Does durability experimentation make the armor last longer, and if so why would I want to increase its durability? That doesn't sound very good for business. ;-)

id like to know myself.

Yeah, does anyone have a guide on this?

In my experience, durability affects the durability AND encumberance (this is on segments and end-product armor). After this it gets tricky. With segments, resistance changes the resist %. The Quality effects everything as a whole, I believe. With end-product armor, resistance changes the special protection %(kinetic for chitin...the resistance listed at the very top). Quality changes all the other protections. Usually all go up the same level (actually, it's been my experience that they always raise or lower the same %). Hope this helps. This is coming from a PA 1 Tech 1 armorsmith, though. So take it with a grain of salt.

As a rule of thumb, the experimental values at the top, change the stuff at the bottom (also affects condition, but enc is most important of the two). The experiment values in the middle, change the stuff in the middle (effectiveness). And the bottom experimentation changes the stuff at the top (special effectiveness).

might as well throw my 2 credits in here.

Durability affects the item durability and HAMM costs (hopefully lower, but I've seen strange things happen).

Quality affects the regular resists and I recall hearing the rate at which armor is damaged per hit. Higher quality might not take as much off as klower quality (but someone would have to confirm this)

Experimental Resists affects the Special resists category on the armor (kinetic for chitin/ubese, energy for tantel, ...)

A More complete explanation:

Experimentation on Segments:

1. Durability - Increases Integrity stat of armor segment (this effects the end armors durability I think) as well as decreases encumberance of the segment, however encumberance reduction is somewhat irregular.

2. Quality - Increases the Base Effectiveness stat of the segment, this stat translates as a direct bonus to the effectiveness percentages on the final armor.

3. Resistance - Increases the Special Resistance of the armor segment (For chitin and ubese its kinetic, bone its energy etc....) Again this is a direct bonus to the final armor.

Experimentation on Armor:

Durability - Increases overall durability of armor and lowers the encumberance (a lot of outcry about this experimentation not being sufficient). Most armorsmiths stay away from this category, because this makes their product last longer, but doesn't make it better (since you can't effectively lower encumberance atm).

Quality - This stat increases the percentages under effectiveness.

Resistance - This stat increases the percentages under Special Resistance (however it too is bugged and only increases one of the special protections if there are more then one i.e. marabi or any armor with layered segments)

I hope this clarifies and I hope its right, as I only need 4 boxes to master (the entire layers tree =p) I'd hate to think I have serious misconceptions about armor experimentation.

Oh and as for armor taking less damage with higher quality...

I understand armor takes damage according to the following formula. (this applies to PSGs too) Its easiest to explain through an example.

A shoots B in the chest with an energy blast from a weapon with armor piercing rating of 0 (none) for 200 base damage. B is wearing a bone armor breast plate with 25% energy resists, and an armor rating of 1 (light).

The first calculation done compares armor piercing to armor rating. Since the armor rating is one greater then the piercing rating, 50% damage is reduced immediately (dmg reduced to 100)

Since energy is listed as a protection for the armor its resitance then applies, reducing the 100 damage 25% (dmg now 75)

The remainder of the damage passes through to the player AND the armor, the player takes a 75 pt ham hit, and the armor takes a 75 hit to its condition.

This, for the enquiring minds out there, explains why shield generators break so fast, while armor (seems) to break slower. EVERY shot hits (and therefore damages) your shield generator, while only one piece of armor takes damage.

Well that should be sufficent amount of posting to this thread.

http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/content.jsp?page=Advanced%20Guide%20Crafting


That says it all...

also, read the bottom part of the draft schematics in the DataPad view, it accualy gives some nice information on how each experimentation value affects the end product.