Stuck at fusion skill level 325-ish

senzsun

Hi champs. I was away from the game for a while. First time round, I raised some chars to fusion skill level 400 just by inspecting nodes. I remember finding the last ones (I think) in the higher level regions of MI.
I started a new char after coming back but I'm stuck at around 325 science. Nodes are no longer giving any skill points: I've inspected lots of them in all the high level regions of MI, Canada, and Lemuria. VB got me from 201 to about 320 but after that nothing.
As for fusion, upgrading IVs and Vs is raising me like one level a week.

Have things changed or am I remembering incorrectly?

Thanks

jaazaniah1

You only really need 1 character at 400 lvl crafting since the fusion success rate on mods is the same no matter what your skill is (iirc).

Easiest way to get another character to 400 is to buy the crafting skill ups when they are available on the AH.

mordray001

So the various crafting skills don't have any value?

bluhman

mordray001 wrote: »

So the various crafting skills don't have any value?

basically yeah

No mods ever get bound to character that you can fuse, so just stockpile those babies in your hideout storage (or mail it to yourself) and get them on your skilled character for maximal fuse chances. Enjoy hitting one button for minutes on end.

mordray001

Oh I already do that... I usually have a movie/show on.

Though I was switching between different characters...

...so is there any reason to pick any of the crafting types over the other?

markhawkman

IIRC there are TWO things it changes.
1: the type of crafting nodes you use on the world map.
2: (not sure) the type of mods you can get skill levels for fusing

Which, yeah, is a viable way to level up your skill level. AFAIK it doesn't take high level mods either.

spookyspectre

I think Science skill has a chance to get Gambler's Gems (crit/dodge/cost discount) from science nodes, Arms skill to get Impact Prisms (offense/defense/cooldown reduction) from Arms nodes and Mysticism to get Sentinel's Brooches (healing/CC resist/CC strength) from Mysticism nodes.

jaazaniah1

Yes, but most of those are going to be nigh worthless R1-3 mods, so not a super great reason to pick one skill over another. I have 1 400 crafting lvl character who does all my fusing and I just sell crafting skill ups whenever one comes my way.I probably have a few characters who never even took a skill.

nonotafrog

Thank you for the replies but they don't really answer my question in the OP.
There are several reasons for my wanting another lvl 400 character and none of them concern the skill school.

The question is, have things changed or not? Or if you prefer, is it worth continuing to explore nodes in the hope of promoting my level 325-330 character to 400? And if so where?
I don't find the nodes worthless. 301+ level nodes contain at least an R3 mod and quite often a 7% catalyst too.

bluhman

There's two ways to do it, one that I know proven to work and the other is only hypothetical since the last time I reached 400 in a skill was before they literally broke the entire crafting system:

1. Explore high level areas (Monster Island, Lemuria, and Vibora Bay) and search for nodes. Each one you find will have a chance to increase your skill. If you go through a significant amount of these and don't get any extra skills (say after 20 of them), it's likely then that the game considers you 'too high-skill' to get skill points from these, at which point the only option to gain skill without blowing money is to just fuse stuff and hope for the same. It's trash, I agree, because the method in which Cryptic handled the skill-system overhaul was trash.
2. Open some lockboxes and hope for booster packs, as one of the things you can get from these is a "+10 crafting skill increase" item, which just does exactly what it says. Of course this requires you giving Cryptic Zen to open the boxes, and/or using the Auction House to buy keys. Alternatively, the AH might also have some crafting skill increase items listed on it.

jaazaniah1

I bet that by the time you explore all the nodes and try fusing mods as a way to go up levels you could have got there faster by selling other stuff you farm on the AH to get the Gs to buy the crafting skill ups. Right now they seem to be mostly going for 20 Gs for a +10

markhawkman

The level of enemies in an area is related to the skill level of nodes. So any place with level 40 enemies might have the right level of nodes.