Having only CoX as my real MMORPG background, Gear kinda confuses me. (I played WoW for a week and hated it.) I kinda look at Gear as enhancements in CoH. (Granted, one piece of gear can have multiple enhancements.)

My question is, when should I look to replace my current gear? In WoW, it seemed obvious because it would break over time. In CoX, enhancements become obsolete when you are 3 levels higher than the enhancement level. (in general.)

Right now, my level 12 Fighter is decked out in awesome gear. However, some of it is level 7 and 8. Does it lose effectiveness as I level up? Should my gear always be with in x-levels of my current level?

As I pick up loot, I can't find anything that even comes close to the defense levels of my current gear. i.e. My body armor provides a defense rating of over 250 and the most I can pick up at my level seems to be in the mid 100 range.

Is the gear at my level that I pick up at, say 150, stronger than the level 7 gear at 250 because of the level difference?

Thanks in advance!

As you find gear of the same type that you have you will find that it has similar bonusses but greater and greater defense as its level increases. That is how you tell when to replace your equipment.

If it is of a higher level it well always be more powerful gear for its type. Just might not be more powerful then the gear you are wearing.

Edited by RedBirdChaos (10/17/07 12:07 PM)

You should ALWAYS be looking to replace your gear with high level gear that suits your build. I would assume that your level 7 or 8 armor with around 250 Def is fighter armor and you are comparing it to armor that is for a ranger and mage if it has less defense at a higher level.

Typically I am looking at the stats (modifiers or enhancements) that the item has over the defense, of the item. Typically these are geared toward a specific "build". IE a fighter armor is going to have +str or end or agi or a combination of those. Where a ranger armor is +agi or end or int or a combination. FYI the total of these stats is always higher for a higher level item given that they are the same rarity (blue, yellow, purple ect.).

Thanks for the input. I am probably comparing different classes of gear (fighter vs mage).

My main concern is that gear doesn't lose it's effectiveness over time. So, if I am kicking butt with what I have right now, I am okay and I don't need to worry if I go up a level that all of a sudden I will be sucking wind or eating dirt because everything just gave out at level up.

And yes, I do look at modifiers a lot on the gear and sometimes a lower defense rating with better modifier does seem to work better for me.

No , your gear won't give up on you . but you well want to upgrade regularly to keep up with the enemies.

I plan on it.. I am always looking for better gear Just not always finding it.. I actually happened to get most of this stuff with king's coins. (I know, they're risky to use for gear, but I got lucky)

Luck is always a good thing ... even if some in here will say it doesnt matter.

Your gear will never wear out or "break" on you in the middle of a battle.

Sometimes I find myself choosing a blue over a purple because for me it is better. Sometimes as you noticed a lower level or lower quality is actually better. Theres jokes sometimes about the fact you find a Rainbow or Purple & what your wearing is better. It just pays to double check those stats before you change clothes. & of course if it looks cooler. lol sometimes I choose something because of that. Got to look cool when your bashing mobs.

Like the others have said, your gear doesn't lose effectiveness. Not like enhancements do in CoX, anyway. If you're doing well and having fun, that's really all that matters. You'll eventually swap old gear out for new as you find it and will continue to do so as you level up.

That being said, there's a not-so-secret secret about gear and the benefits that they confer depending on both the level and the rarity. Most of us older players know that one can definitely find a blue item that has the same base stats as a yellow or purple item. The catch is that the blue can't be equipped for a few more levels. Here's a screenshot of three items (yellow, purple and rainbow), all of which have the same basic stats. Please note the level requirements for the items, however:

Item Level Differences...

I wish I had found a blue item to go in that picture, but the differences between the levels that the items can be equipped demonstrate my point. If I had found a comparable blue, it would probably require level 26 to be equipped. Simply put, the more rare the item, the lower you can equip it for comparable stats, which can make you much more effective at a lower level than you would be with less rare items.

Thanks Ripper.. I have noticed that I can get the same type of item in "different colors." I just didn't catch the level requirements difference!

that's pretty cool how the better items can be equipped at a lower level where as in say FFXI, which i quit before playing this, you had to get an item, which usually took more people and time than you could come up with, get more items to trade to an npc with the origional item, which also took more ppl and time than you could come up with. Then u get an item that had little to no more benefit than the origional item and you just wasted 5 weeks of your life! not in DR though, i absolutely love the randomness of drops in this game.

I replace most of my gear about every 5 levels. If some piece is lagging far behind, that is when I use the King Coins to replace the item. Even rainbows need replacing within 10 levels or so.

This is why we could use an un-soulbound ability, so that others can use the rainbows we were fortunate enough to find in a usable condition!

nice screen shot ripper and i wonder how long it took you to farm those 3 things to put in a screenshot