Warrior General Games

Shopping is the biggest win-lose part of it.

However, you can bank shopping tokens. (I am sure there is a limit, but I believe Bort said it was 255?)

When you first create your player, and you rush to cap that first attribute, that is the ideal time to train normal.

Example: You make a DT, roll a 22 agl, and want to cap it early. Train normal banking shopping tokens until you can cap agl at 49 by level 3. (It can easly be done) This will give you anywhere from 10-20 shopping tokens to save. Yes at some point you need to buy something to dump your BT on so you can carry them over, but still, I like my chances at level 30+ with 15 shopping tokens a HECK of a lot more then rolling at level 20.

After that, you can train intense the rest of your life, only using BT for sp if you need to hit a cap level sooner.

Originally posted by mandyross
Probably the only argument against going along the AE route would be that for certain positions it takes longer to get suitable AE, and seasons of shopping waste bonus tokens. It'd have to be well over 1, even 2 seasons of shopping though before it started to come into the equation, although I am too lazy to back this comment up with maths.

So, the number of AE pieces you should ultimately aim to have (0, 1, 2, 3) could be position-specific.

However, for a position where it is reasonably easy* to find suitable AE that helps boost stats in the 5:1, 6:1 range (such as C, G, DT), the only question left to me is whether it is better to focus on ultimately having 2 or 3 pieces.

My hunch at the moment is 2.



*Let's say on average less than 20 days per piece.

The point that people tend to ignore with AE is that if you have enough tokens, ANY piece of ae is better than your normal eq. As long as we keep the preseason and get training for those 4 days, you can shop 4 times a season and still get your 16 bonus tokens. This way, I take the best piece available with those 4 shopping tokens, and use it. It may not be the PERFECT piece, but who cares, it's still better than you can get from standard eq, and you can always replace it the next season if you get a better piece from shopping with your preseason training points.

Originally posted by Meatdawg
Shopping is the biggest win-lose part of it.

However, you can bank shopping tokens. (I am sure there is a limit, but I believe Bort said it was 255?)

When you first create your player, and you rush to cap that first attribute, that is the ideal time to train normal.

Example: You make a DT, roll a 22 agl, and want to cap it early. Train normal banking shopping tokens until you can cap agl at 49 by level 3. (It can easly be done) This will give you anywhere from 10-20 shopping tokens to save. Yes at some point you need to buy something to dump your BT on so you can carry them over, but still, I like my chances at level 30+ with 15 shopping tokens a HECK of a lot more then rolling at level 20.

After that, you can train intense the rest of your life, only using BT for sp if you need to hit a cap level sooner.

You would have to be extraordinarily lucky to find two perfect pieces of AE in under 20 rolls. Heck you'd have to be luck to find one perfect piece in 20 rolls.

Originally posted by Meatdawg
Lets assume you create your player on day 31. (This gets you max number of days to train and not level - 9)

Doing this it will take you exactly 4 full seasons to hit level 40.
Example: Created end of season 7, will hit 40 start of season 12.

Now here is the part I like, if you train intense from the START (meaning you can train normal for like 20 times, bank shoping tokens for when you are in your 30's) of your first full season, untill you hit 40 you will accumulate about 400 training points. (not even counting Bort's nice off/pre season free training.)

Thats 80 BT (400/5) over the course of your career from 1-40.

80 BT can be used for either a extra 20 sp (80/4) or 10 (80/8) equipment upgrades.

Lets say you roll a good +3 agl, +1 First Step piece. With 10 upgrdes you can make that piece +13 AGL, +6 FIRST STEP by the time you are level 40. That is > then 20 sp.

Since when can you upgrade it 10 times? At level 40 that is 6 upgrades max...so 9 agility, 4 first step.

Originally posted by bigpimpin123


Since when can you upgrade it 10 times? At level 40 that is 6 upgrades max...so 9 agility, 4 first step.

He forgot about the level restrictions, he mentions it later.

Originally posted by TheGreatPuma
Originally posted by bigpimpin123



Since when can you upgrade it 10 times? At level 40 that is 6 upgrades max...so 9 agility, 4 first step.

He forgot about the level restrictions, he mentions it later.

That's what happens when I ramble and do math first thing in the morning.

Originally posted by Melancholy
The point that people tend to ignore with AE is that if you have enough tokens, ANY piece of ae is better than your normal eq. As long as we keep the preseason and get training for those 4 days, you can shop 4 times a season and still get your 16 bonus tokens. This way, I take the best piece available with those 4 shopping tokens, and use it. It may not be the PERFECT piece, but who cares, it's still better than you can get from standard eq, and you can always replace it the next season if you get a better piece from shopping with your preseason training points.


Of course any piece is better than normal eq in the end, but the big question being asked here is whether it is better than (normal eq + the # of skill points the bonus tokens could be traded in for), and then to take it further how many pieces can this apply to.

I do agree though that there is no point shopping for the perfect equipment for low-levelled players. Shop once, get an item, store bonus tokens in it. I wouldn't even bother shopping 4 days.

Only past lvl 32 I think it is worth having a real look for something that will last you the rest of your career. At this level also you start to think about SAs, so can choose the ones to focus on that your SA can take much higher.

Key words are: For New Players. Tried for a while on my FS to find decent items. But it was taking so long with the shopping tokens to find anything that I would upgrade that I just stopped worrying and went with the Temp Boosts.

Wish I could go back on my HB though, spent like a season or so building up shopping tokens and not doing intense training. Looking back I should have been doing intense. Oh, and I never found anything worth buying with 30+ Shopping Tokens, 60+ if you count my FS. So I have amazingly terrible luck on that front.

Originally posted by Riggs_Inator
Key words are: For New Players. Tried for a while on my FS to find decent items. But it was taking so long with the shopping tokens to find anything that I would upgrade that I just stopped worrying and went with the Temp Boosts.

Wish I could go back on my HB though, spent like a season or so building up shopping tokens and not doing intense training. Looking back I should have been doing intense. Oh, and I never found anything worth buying with 30+ Shopping Tokens, 60+ if you count my FS. So I have amazingly terrible luck on that front.

No, my guess is your luck is rather normal, which is part of my reasoning behind spending BTs on SP early on when it can help you with your build capping (Obviously you don't just turn them in to turn them in)

Originally posted by TheGreatPuma
Originally posted by Riggs_Inator

Key words are: For New Players. Tried for a while on my FS to find decent items. But it was taking so long with the shopping tokens to find anything that I would upgrade that I just stopped worrying and went with the Temp Boosts.

Wish I could go back on my HB though, spent like a season or so building up shopping tokens and not doing intense training. Looking back I should have been doing intense. Oh, and I never found anything worth buying with 30+ Shopping Tokens, 60+ if you count my FS. So I have amazingly terrible luck on that front.

No, my guess is your luck is rather normal, which is part of my reasoning behind spending BTs on SP early on when it can help you with your build capping (Obviously you don't just turn them in to turn them in)

It really is hit or miss when you start looking for that perfect piece.

I would love to know the level range when people think you have a "good" shot at something +3 or when SA's first start to show up on AE.

If FP is no problem, you can always make a few players that are the same, so when the time comes to start shopping you are increasing your odds.

Worst case scenario, you take your worst piece, upgrade it, and roll again in your 40's for something better.

Buy 1st and 2nd piece that come up. Put tokens on those (or put them on 1 if you have the money to, 2 is cheaper though) until 40. Start shopping at 40 when the AEQ rolls are significantly better. Don't waste rolls trying to find something specific until you have enough tokens to make it useable.

Here is the cheese that will probably become pretty commonplace once I spill it, but here goes:

when you create a new player, always create like 5 of them. spend the time to roll each of that so that each could possibly be the one you keep. then take those 7 TPs that you get to start and cash them all in for shopping tokens on all your guys. then, use each of your 5 guys to roll at the AEQ shop. if any of them get a good piece, thats your man. retire all of the rest. if you don't get any, rinse and repeat. that way you start with a great item and dont lose a ton of TPs rolling for one.

even if you can't afford to buy it you can keep it in your list of 3 until you can.

It took me over 30 times to find a +1 first step piece for my TE, but I'm glad I did it.

The key to AE is to sacrifice a bit, and not take the perfect piece. +1 +SA or +SA +% is fine, don't need to find the perfect +3 +SA or something. Come on, whats a skill point or two, the AE is still positive.

I'll usually take the first thing that's moderate and consider going back later.

And yes, the key word is for new players.

OP should be updated with new info; also, not only is it viable for players to have 2 pieces ... I argue that at some point you should have THREE pieces of advanced equipment. Basically, you have 5.6 levels every year when XP floors hit (2.6 from games, 3 from boosts). So to reach the 8-level threshold takes approximately a year and a half, or 24 bonus tokens to upgrade 3 pieces of equipment

Originally posted by Negronic
Here is the cheese that will probably become pretty commonplace once I spill it, but here goes:

when you create a new player, always create like 5 of them. spend the time to roll each of that so that each could possibly be the one you keep. then take those 7 TPs that you get to start and cash them all in for shopping tokens on all your guys. then, use each of your 5 guys to roll at the AEQ shop. if any of them get a good piece, thats your man. retire all of the rest. if you don't get any, rinse and repeat. that way you start with a great item and dont lose a ton of TPs rolling for one.

even if you can't afford to buy it you can keep it in your list of 3 until you can.



Have you tried that? Back when AE first came in I made like 20 players and just rolled to see what was out there. I don't think a level 1 can get anything good.