Do element shards even do anything?

Gregen - Lost City
Gregen - Lost City Posts: 174 Arc User
edited March 2010 in General Discussion
For instance, a Common Ruby shard says Fire attack +24. I've been using Ruby shards because I use fire attacks most of the time. I never buy them, just use what I pick up from drops. Is that really even doing anything? Now I've started thinking about it. +24? That's almost nothing. And for the price you would pay for it is absolutely ridiculous if it's only adding 24 dmg.

How do these things work?
Post edited by Gregen - Lost City on

Comments

  • Miugre - Heavens Tear
    Miugre - Heavens Tear Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    All gems aren't really worth the price you pay for them, beyond rough/blemished or maybe common. You buy gems for two reasons: to get really small bonuses (I prefer blemished for most equips I don't intend to use for very long), or to see your equips glow.

    Just stockpile the gems you find / get as quest rewards and use what you have unless the equip is really, really important to you.

    As far as elemental gems go... I think any "attack" gem may only apply to physical attack. It's really weird. I just remember hearing that elemental gems add a certain amount of elemental damage to regular weapon attacks (e.g. a BM using a sword with that ruby shard would have the fire damage added to his/her attack). I seem to remember hearing that this does NOT apply to any kind of magic attacks.

    But it's been awhile since I've heard... can anyone confirm/deny this?
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  • WitchBurner - Sanctuary
    WitchBurner - Sanctuary Posts: 1,394 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    Soulgems give pretty good bonuses. BTW Miu, the bonus written plain on the gem may look small, but remember it's a base value, +54 attack on a gem doesn't add 54 to your full calculated damage but 54 to your base weapon's damage, which can really add up.

    Post 60 when leveling takes longer it can be worthwhile to imbue the item with avg shards for npc/quest/TT gear. For legendary take into account the fact you will eventually sell it and it will last you much longer than regular gear, so try and imbue it with as good quality gems as you can afford.

    I'm still not sure about Elemental shards, so I try and avoid them on weapons(they are good for armour though).
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  • Arliana - Dreamweaver
    Arliana - Dreamweaver Posts: 410 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    also, element gems are more for the mages, like metal for clerics, wood for venos etc.
  • Daerys - Sanctuary
    Daerys - Sanctuary Posts: 1,022 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    Because I've been curious for the exact answer for quite some time I decided to do some testing. I didn't write it all down and make complex computations. It's just not necessary for this simple test.

    Level 5 Spiritmeeting Wand white one star from vendor, magic dmg 202-206. Bought 2, added one socket and an average aquamarine (+32 wood dmg) to one, left the other plain.

    Mantises south of arch, level 33 metal mobs (no modified defense vs wood). Average hits with the gemmed wand should have been 32 or more higher over the normal wand. I was not at all surprised to find that the average hits were identical.

    For grins and giggles I went melee on them as well, and of course the hits with the gemmed wand were ~30 higher.

    *Edit*
    It bears mentioning that while most people *knew* this already, I haven't seen anyone say they actually tried it. Just thought I'd throw a little empirical evidence in to the mix, assuming you trust me of course b:chuckle
  • nanfashion55
    nanfashion55 Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    i don't really get how to do this game?? i play fashiongames alot like fashionfantasygame and i find that the players all help me alot. please help
  • Gregen - Lost City
    Gregen - Lost City Posts: 174 Arc User
    edited May 2009

    Mantises south of arch, level 33 metal mobs (no modified defense vs wood). Average hits with the gemmed wand should have been 32 or more higher over the normal wand. I was not at all surprised to find that the average hits were identical.

    For grins and giggles I went melee on them as well, and of course the hits with the gemmed wand were ~30 higher.

    So apparently these shards only work when used melee?
  • Daerys - Sanctuary
    Daerys - Sanctuary Posts: 1,022 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    So apparently these shards only work when used melee?

    Yes. For a boost to Magic Damage, use Sapphires.
  • Aneemah - Heavens Tear
    Aneemah - Heavens Tear Posts: 229 Arc User
    edited May 2009
    So apparently these shards only work when used melee?

    Melee, Cleric phys nukes, and "prolly" blade tempest... but again, better use Garnet or Sapphire to boost the overall damage...
  • Rabid_dogg - Heavens Tear
    Rabid_dogg - Heavens Tear Posts: 54 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    For instance, a Common Ruby shard says Fire attack +24. I've been using Ruby shards because I use fire attacks most of the time. I never buy them, just use what I pick up from drops. Is that really even doing anything? Now I've started thinking about it. +24? That's almost nothing. And for the price you would pay for it is absolutely ridiculous if it's only adding 24 dmg.

    How do these things work?


    The Shards are very cheap in the auction house.

    Perfect Element Shards going for 250-350k each,imbue them on your weapon and see yourself rip through the mobs that are weak against the elemental gem in your weapon.

    And if u put these same gems in your armor,they outdo sapphire shards by a long margin.

    Only problem is you need to have a min of 3 sockets in your armor .To make full use of these gems find a cape or a helmet with 2 elemental resistances already in it and add 3 sockets and the 3 elemental gems ( at least Flawless which is worth 75-130k for the elemental gems) and you will have great elemental resistance.

    As far as garnet Shards go, unless u are not planning to spend a fortune and get a Perfect garnet Shard,its best to get Amber shards or elemental shards on them.

    Hope this micro guide helps.

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  • Eternalnub - Heavens Tear
    Eternalnub - Heavens Tear Posts: 393 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    @Rabid_dogg be ready to get flamed for necroing some months old thread

    i dont care if this thread is like 1 year old but it makes some ppl pissed off :P
  • Inias - Heavens Tear
    Inias - Heavens Tear Posts: 440 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    lol only seen a couple good and true answers :p

    elemental shards like fire and metal etc is **** for clerics and wizards etc

    those elemental shards if u add them to your wep your wep will do an additional ... fire or whatever element damage with every melee(physical) attack u do


    magical attacks are nly affected by sapphire shards
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  • Wolvenear - Sanctuary
    Wolvenear - Sanctuary Posts: 41 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    Ive seen a few barbs with + to metal attack shard in there weapons, i laughed so hard i hardly could control myself. then ive seen venos with + to wood attack in there weapon, and i thought they were even smarter then the veno that puts a + to magic attack in. all depends what your skills are ( btw barbs dont have metal attack skills lol, clerics and archers do =)
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  • Quilue - Sanctuary
    Quilue - Sanctuary Posts: 5,787 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    it's not exactly wise to socket elemental shards to weapon as a barb/bm/archer because mobs have higher mdef than pdef (pwdatabase)

    as for the casters, a lot of spells deal x00% of wep damage, so it's always better to have sapphire shards even if your spells do have the elemental damage added on

    but anyways, elemental shards to armor is probably better and cheaper than sapphire shards to armor if anyone ever decides to socket for mdef...

    you'd have 5 pieces of equipment to cover each element: head, plate, leggings, boots, bracers

    soo i dont really understand why people socket sapphire to armor
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  • IceJazmin - Heavens Tear
    IceJazmin - Heavens Tear Posts: 4,206 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    it's not exactly wise to socket elemental shards to weapon as a barb/bm/archer because mobs have higher mdef than pdef (pwdatabase)

    but anyways, elemental shards to armor is probably better and cheaper than sapphire shards to armor if anyone ever decides to socket sapphire...

    you'd have 5 pieces of equipment to cover each element: head, plate, leggings, boots, bracers

    soo i dont really understand why people socket sapphire to armor

    For the really cool white glow effect.
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  • Quilue - Sanctuary
    Quilue - Sanctuary Posts: 5,787 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    For the really cool white glow effect.

    lol i guess that's why ppl socket turquoise too...that would've been the preferred glow for me
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  • Rinnve - Lost City
    Rinnve - Lost City Posts: 473 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    topost2.th.jpg
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  • pooritan
    pooritan Posts: 13 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    little question. you guys say melee/physical...how about the ranged attacks of archers?
  • Olba - Sanctuary
    Olba - Sanctuary Posts: 1,776 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    pooritan wrote: »
    little question. you guys say melee/physical...how about the ranged attacks of archers?

    Garnets work.
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  • pooritan
    pooritan Posts: 13 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    the discussion is not about garnet shards. it is about in which cases element shards have an effect and when not.
    but for the guys who only read the last post i will type my question more accurate.

    do have elemental shards in bows/crossbows/slingshots any effect on the damage output when doing auto attack?

    or is it like with spell casting that they don't have any
  • truekossy
    truekossy Posts: 7,021 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    it's not exactly wise to socket elemental shards to weapon as a barb/bm/archer because mobs have higher mdef than pdef (pwdatabase)

    as for the casters, a lot of spells deal x00% of wep damage, so it's always better to have sapphire shards even if your spells do have the elemental damage added on

    but anyways, elemental shards to armor is probably better and cheaper than sapphire shards to armor if anyone ever decides to socket for mdef...

    you'd have 5 pieces of equipment to cover each element: head, plate, leggings, boots, bracers

    soo i dont really understand why people socket sapphire to armor
    Basic math. You'd get higher overall resists sharding 4 sapphires to 5 pieces of armor than from doing 4 specific ones per armor.

    Quick example: G11 ele shards would give 200 resistance to each element so 800 extra overall resists. G11 sapphire, gives 100 def to all elements, so 8 sapphires gives the same as filling your armor set with ele shards... and then leaves you room for either more sapphires, adding in garnets, or using citrines.
    pooritan wrote: »
    the discussion is not about garnet shards. it is about in which cases element shards have an effect and when not.
    but for the guys who only read the last post i will type my question more accurate.

    do have elemental shards in bows/crossbows/slingshots any effect on the damage output when doing auto attack?

    or is it like with spell casting that they don't have any
    Works on bows. Just doesn't affect skills or magic.
  • Solandri - Heavens Tear
    Solandri - Heavens Tear Posts: 2,843 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    it's not exactly wise to socket elemental shards to weapon as a barb/bm/archer because mobs have higher mdef than pdef (pwdatabase)
    You have to factor in that the elemental shards are a heckuva lot cheaper. Of course a beautiful garnet would be better than a (say) a beautiful ruby. But for about twice the price of a beautiful garnet (+20 phys attack), you can probably get a perfect ruby (+80 fire damage).

    The question then becomes, how do the shards add to damage? Is the garnet's +20 phys attack just a +20 increase to damage? Or is it (as I've heard said, but never seen tested) a +20 increase to your weapon's attack rating? If the latter, it'll get multiplied by your str when translating into your character's phys attack. Same goes for the elemental shards. Do they merely add to damage? Or does their increase count as weapon attack rating?

    Since conventional wisdom is that garnets and sapphires are better, I assume someone at some point tested this out, and garnets/sapphires add to weapon attack while elemental shards do not. But it would be really nice if someone were to test it and post results so we'd have definitive proof.

    There's also the matter of skills which rely on weapon attack rating. One assumes garnets help with those while elemental shards do not. But I've never seen it tested.
  • Dudusk - Lost City
    Dudusk - Lost City Posts: 41 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    topost2.th.jpg
    One of greatest fails i've seen ever.

    Unfortunately CQ leader has an imcomparable Wood Damage Shard in his weapon..
    So maybe they really know something about why they use these shards.
  • Quilue - Sanctuary
    Quilue - Sanctuary Posts: 5,787 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    truekossy wrote: »
    Basic math. You'd get higher overall resists sharding 4 sapphires to 5 pieces of armor than from doing 4 specific ones per armor.

    Quick example: G11 ele shards would give 200 resistance to each element so 800 extra overall resists. G11 sapphire, gives 100 def to all elements, so 8 sapphires gives the same as filling your armor set with ele shards... and then leaves you room for either more sapphires, adding in garnets, or using citrines.


    Works on bows. Just doesn't affect skills or magic.

    oops...heh...good call
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  • EgaeniI - Heavens Tear
    EgaeniI - Heavens Tear Posts: 48 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    tbh they just look very cool with all those fancy colouring.. atm im just TOTALLY sick of every1 having the same colour
    b:bye full time shop part time player
  • Mizuoni - Dreamweaver
    Mizuoni - Dreamweaver Posts: 3,533 Arc User
    edited August 2009
    topost2.th.jpg
    One of greatest fails i've seen ever.

    no
    venomancers can go fox form
    so when the veno goes fox they have extra wood damage to their foxy attacks
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  • Voxstellarum - Heavens Tear
    Voxstellarum - Heavens Tear Posts: 36 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Unfortunately CQ leader has an imcomparable Wood Damage Shard in his weapon..
    So maybe they really know something about why they use these shards.


    some people just like added green glow on a green weapon. some reta r d e d low lvl nubs and their MSPaint program making horrible pictureslol, haters. my 80 barb has green glow around his dual green glowing axes. lookin pimp, a few extra pts dmg for garnet vs that, who cares some people just enjoy a good glow. haaatersb:dirty
  • Nakhimov - Lost City
    Nakhimov - Lost City Posts: 1,829 Arc User
    edited September 2009
    Those shards only work when you do a regular attack. Not a skill, nothing but a regular attack.

    Using those in your wep if you're a caster? You fail b:cute

    EDIT: Also, Daikoku is alsp part melee veno, I believe. So he actually does get a damage bonus.
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  • LordVenus - Lost City
    LordVenus - Lost City Posts: 6 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    They Are Helpful i have 3Beautiful Earth Soulgems Imbued in my 3*WindFlower Blades and Max Phi Atk +52 And may i c my High lvl Wife used them and they Cause serious Damage on HA and Some LA Users.
    Occupation: Excuetor Of PureEvil
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    Class: Dual Weilding Swords/Archer/High Earth Def+Atk
    Goal:Wanna Try being the 1st High Lvl Archer Dual Sword User And Showin How Useful Element SoulGems can be useful

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  • truekossy
    truekossy Posts: 7,021 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    They Are Helpful i have 3Beautiful Earth Soulgems Imbued in my 3*WindFlower Blades and Max Phi Atk +52 And may i c my High lvl Wife used them and they Cause serious Damage on HA and Some LA Users.

    1: Cool necro, bro.
    2: Where can I get a 3 socket weapon like yours?
  • LordVenus - Lost City
    LordVenus - Lost City Posts: 6 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    truekossy wrote: »
    1: Cool necro, bro.
    2: Where can I get a 3 socket weapon like yours?

    Alot of Asking Duke Questions 4 which Blacksmith is Being Generous
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