SO's versus IO's?

I have never really messed with IO's because I quite shortly after they were introduced and just recently returned.

I'm lvl 33 and based on what the in-game data is telling me a lvl 35 SO does the same as a lvl 35 IO. So what is the benefit of crafting when I can just buy SO's? Is it later in the game where you see the difference?

Thanks in advance!

IO's don't reduce in strength as you level, the way SO's do. Also you can never outlevel an IO. It'll always work even if you are several levels higher than it.

In saying that, I don't normally bother with using all IO's in a build until I get to level 47.

I do use IO sets on certain builds that are end heavy. I find that certain IO sets work wonders for powers like Blazing Aura and Death Shroud etc.

The benefit is that they don't drop in effectiveness as you level. A 35 SO is best when you're 32 and drops off in effectiveness until you out level it, but a 35 IO will always give the same enhancement.

At 50, the advantage is that the enhancement value generic IOs give increases. So a level 30 damage IO will give you just under 35% enhancement, but a level 50 one will give you 42%. For reference, a level 53 dam SO will enhance a powers damage by 38%. So if you've got the money (and as you're in the Market forum you've got no excuse now ) they're definitely worth it.

Several points:

1) At level 36, your level 35 SO will enhance your power by 30% insted of the current 36.something percent. At level 38 it will enhance your power by 0%. Your level 35 IO's will enhance by 36.something percent until you decide to replace with something better.

2) If you put in bids a week before you need them, and carry the ones you get early, you can sometimes get serious bargains at Wentworth's on generics.

3) If you want a slightly more complex approach, a set IO that does two things (Acc/Dam, or Defense/End, or whatever) does each of them about 2/3 as well as a generic; one that does three things does each of them about half as well.

Which means if you slot a Ruin Acc/Dam/Rech and a Thunderstrike Acc/Dam/Rech, both level 35, in a ranged damage power (they won't go into anything else- one of the many harsh learning experiences some people have) you get about 36% Acc, 36% Dam, and 36% Recharge. In two slots. Those are fairly cheap IO's- it'll cost you maybe six SO's each for them.

4) If you want to spend more and have more potential mistakes, you can get into the expensive, fancy set IO's that have actual good set bonuses. Putting five Devastation into that power will get you, in addition to a lot of accuracy, damage, endurance reduction and recharge, the following:

12% Regeneration (about equal to one SO in Health )
2.25% more Hit Points (about half an Accolade's worth)
3% more damage on all powers (not much... but on all powers)
3.3% hold resistance (ok, that one's useless.)

Slot that in four singletarget powers, and you get 12% damage (about Assault level), 9% HP (almost the Atlas medallion) and 48% Regen (more than unslotted Health.)

... it will cost you hundreds of millions of influence, and you have to be careful that you're not losing damage or whatever in the power itself, but it's definitely nice to have.

Fantastic information. Thanks a lot, you have all answered my question to the "T"!

Another answer that most people won't think of--it introduced a market and economy to the game that in many cases favors lower-leveled characters. Even if you never use a single IO, if you judiciously sell your drops you'll be a multimillionaire by the time you're in your 20's. And if you put any effort in at all, you could be a hundred millionaire many times over by 50.

You'll never ever have to worry about not being able to afford your SOs ever again. The game is still based around them. Plus, they often sell even cheaper on the market than they do from stores. So you'll earn more money, and spend less, if you just use SOs.

But then, while the above is all true, it tends to pale in comparison to the "never ever have to replace an enhancement ever again" and the even greater "my Defender has more hp and regen than a regen Scrapper, and makes Stalkers run in fear" features.

SO or IO? Even at the earliest levels, if you frankenslot multi-aspect IO's, your character will be a new monster. I haven't even looked at a TO/DO/SO except to sell it off since my first character.

I go from 1-50 on all my characters with SOs. It's something of a rite of passage for me, and replacing my SOs gives me something to look forward to every few levels.

I hated SOs when they were all we had and I haven't slotted once since I9 delivered us from their tyranny.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever slotted more than a dozen or so SOs across all of my characters, ever. I came into the game in issue 10, and it just never made any sense to me to slot SOs when even generic IOs are so much better - let alone frankenslotting cheap set IOs, which I find is almost like a small minigame itself (how much enhancement can I get for 50k, etc).

I mean, the first time I heard about frankenslotting, I read up on it and said - I can 6 slot this attack with SOs, and get 95% damage and 33% acc/end/rech, or I can 5 slot it with extremely cheap set IOs and get 95% damage, 60% acc, and 35% end/rech? Oh, I wonder which should I do?

I never claimed it was a good option, performance, cost or convenience-wise. It's a silly tradition that I indulge myself in.

Werner,

yoiu know, its funny. I view myself as lazy in the extreme when it comes to slotting and my most common slotting is level 15 IO into level 25 IO and call it done. later slots will get 30 or 35 IO, but I tend not to replace the 25s unless with a set.

I find buying SOs evey 5 levels a very large hassle.

I find it funny that the same trait 'in game laziness' can oush someone to SO or IO, dpedning upon which part they feel is more effort. (Markets or the shopping at NPC stores)

I think the exception to what most people are saying is Penelope Yin's dad's SO's. Getting that very high bonus at level 10 exceeds anything you can get at that level IO or set-wise, even though you are limited to one type based on your origin.

SOs are like temporary dental fillings now. I buy them if I get a slots level while teamed, because they're easily had; but eventually, you're going to have to go back and have them replaced.

There are some low level IOs that may not even be replaced for a while. So what if your level 50 has a level 20 IO in Super Jump? Just as good as it ever was.

My MA oriented characters collect tickets and turn them in for common salvage in the right level ranges. I make a bunch of high priority generic IOs (accuracy, damage, endurance, recharge) with the resulting random rolled salvage and auction the rest. This way, the characters get the generic IOs they need for levelling and my MA characters get crafting badges.

Around level 35, I start planning for if the character is going to need sets, and if so, which ones. Some set IOs (Kinetic Combat, especially) have to be bought with merits, but I will buy others on the AH. Many of the higher priority sets in my build cap in the 30-40 range, so they can all be slotted without significant decrease in quality at that time.

<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison

I pretty much agree with everything said. I rarely slot IOs before level 47, only because I prefer the post-50 game and I usually rush to get guys leveled so I can get to the end game that I enjoy. Plus, SOs are very cheap. It's cheaper to get buy SOs at the market and stores and use drops than it is to make and create IOs.

The one exception is that I have a ton of low level Super-IOs and Uniques (Miracles, Numinas, LotGs, Celeritys etc.) that I slot as soon as I can in lowbies. When they get to 47, I respec out of them to give them to my next lowbie. When a level 30 with stale SOs has a Numina and a Miracle in Health, it keeps him from panting his way to 32 for new SOs.

IOs are great.