Tool's data sample and crafting guide

[762_XC]

I get the sense a lot of folks hesitate to ask for crafted gear because they don't know what's available, or what's reasonable to ask for. So hopefully this little guide should give everyone a sense of both, as well as how to efficiently gather data samples to benefit not only your own toons, but the fleet at large.

Data samples at a glance

Common data samples are organized into six colors/tiers, which roughly correspond to the difficulty of the areas they can be found in, as well as the items they will craft. They are organized this way in the fleet bank as well. The tiers are:

Red - Radiation Sample, Alien Artifact, Mineral Sample - Used for crafting Mk II gear, and (more importantly) schematics
Cyan - Antimatter Sample, Unknown Alloy, Biological Sample - Used for crafting Mk IV gear
Green - Tetryon Particle, Encoded Data, Plasma Sample - Used for crafting Mk VI gear
Blue - Methogenic Particle, Genetic Sequencer, DNA Sequence - Used for crafting Mk VIII gear
Pink - Tachyon Wave Signature, Photonic Technology, Exobiological Data - Used for crafting Mk X gear (including Aegis)
Purple - Chronometric Wave Signature, Technical Schematic, Unidentified Substance - Used for crafting Mk XI gear

The most efficient way to gather these is by running around exploration areas and scanning anomalous readings, bypassing the systems. The exploration areas with their corresponding drops are:

Delta Volanis - Red
Arucanis Arm - Red/cyan
Hromi Cluster - Cyan
Khazan Cluster - Cyan/green
Afehirr Nebula - Green
Eridan Belt - Green/blue
Betreka Nebula - Blue
Rolor Nebula - Blue
Zenas Expanse - Blue/Pink
B'Tran Cluster - Pink
B'Tran Cluster (Vice Admiral) - Purple

Generally speaking the most valuable (to us) common particles are reds, for crafting schematics, and pinks, for crafting Aegis. Anyone who wants to farm these at Delta V or B'Tran regular will be doing the fleet a service.

Rare particle traces are another category, and are used to craft Very Rare items. Because of their relative rarity we will only use them to craft endgame items - either Mk XI or Aegis gear. Different rare particles have different values because of what they are used to craft. The more valuable ones are:

Chronometric - Used for crafting endgame beam arrays
Metreon - Used for crafting endgame dual beam banks
Antithoron - Used for crafting endgame DHC's and ground weapons
Vertion - used for crafting almost all other endgame ship weapons, including torpedoes and turrets

A full Aegis set will use one of every rare particle trace (9 total) except Vertion.

What kinds of things can be crafted?

Generally crafted items are going to fall under one of two categories: endgame gear, and lowbie gear (meaning anything Mk X or lower). Anyone who is actively contributing to the data sample store in the fleet bank should feel comfortable asking for either.

Endgame gear

Before asking for endgame gear you should check what is available for purchase using emblems, if you have any. For 30 emblems you can buy a Very Rare Mk XI weapon of any type. Check the emblem vendor at the center of ESD to see what's available. Check the Assets tab on your Inventory to see how many emblems you have (if you are lower rank than Vice Admiral you won't have any).

Very Rare Mk X gear can be purchased using Marks of Exploration, at Battle Group Omega.

For crafted items, endgame Shields, Deflectors, and Engines will usually be Aegis. If for some reason you want something else it will be Very Rare Mk XI.
Endgame weapons will be Very Rare Mk XI, as will personal shields, armors, and ground weapons.
Endgame Kits will be Very Rare Mk X.
Endgame Consoles will be Rare Mk X.

Lowbie Gear

If you've just reached Commander, and you're depressed at the Mk VI common crap you're stuck buying in spacedock, go ahead and request a few crafted items.

We will craft a reasonable (depending on supplies) number of items for any toon of any rank. Lowbie crafted gear will typically be Rare in quality.

Lowbie consoles will only be crafted at Mk IV. The reason for this is anything higher uses rare particle traces (except for Mk XI consoles, which for some reason don't).

Additionally we won't craft Mk II stuff for anyone. The reason for this is the Red particles are much, much for valuable for use in crafting schematics (which are needed for every crafted item). You'll just have to tough it out until you reach Lt. Commander, or buy some Uncommon gear using Badges of Exploration.

Post crafting requests here. Questions can be posted in this thread.

[stoneyface]

awesome job! you forgot to mention that you are the person in charge of the DUDEron particles dept!

i would also add that you can trade emblems in for marks of valor, and marks of honor in battlegroup omega. when you warp in, look left high for the nebula and trade in there and then go to the u.s.s tomlinson on the lower right as you warp in. you can get stuff like
* [Klingon Bat'leth Mk X [CrtD] [CrtH] [Borg]] – 35 Mark of Valor
http://www.stowiki.org/Bat%27leth
awesome sauce