There really isn't a norm, it is so dependant on how you plan on playign your character.
Soemone like Werner will make sure he has maximised the survivability and damage output, and that will typically mean level 50s.
I tend to grab sets in the 30-35 range, as I do a fairly large amount of exemping with just about all of my characters. Thats a happy balance for me of having good enhancment with a reaosnable range that the set bonuses remain.
At the other extreme, you have people who will set out with say level 18s in a 2nd build just to have the available for a Posi run (or 23s for a CaP redside)
IF (and thats a big IF) influence is no great barrier, then examine the PVP sets at 50. The set bonuses just like purples stay with you when you exemp.
Ballparking you would be looking ata minimum of 500 million inf per power for those right now though. (significantly more for certain sets and over a billion each for certain uniques).
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I used to try to buy at level 35 largely because 27-33 were so popular for Siren's Call and level 35 isn't that much different in enhancement value when used in sets than 50s (far cheaper to craft too). However, now I just don't care. I'll buy lower ones if they're available but when exemp'ing your level 50 still has more inspiration slots and access to better powers/more slots than natural characters at the same level. There's nothing in this game that is that difficult for any exempt'ed 50 to handle.
I know people do obsess about getting IOs at a certain level, but I played this game when only SOs were available and my characters played fine then. Exempted, you still have more power since sets are already packing more end redx and recharge than what you'd get with straight SO slotting anyway.
Try for a lower level, but I wouldn't go overboard with it.
An important thing to keep in mind is that lower-level IOs can enhance one or two values to the ED cap if you concentrate on that; higher level IOs might let you do that AND get much better enhancement in other areas.
For example, let's look at some actual enhancement values I have slotted.
I have frankenslotted attacks with level 25 set IOs; if you use the right mix, you can get:
95% damage
95% recharge
45% accuracy (still better than one SO!)
30-40% end reduction
That's not slotting for set bonuses, because whole sets at 25 won't give you anything like that good a level of enhancement; the only rationale for sticking to the lower-level IOs for frankenslotting is early availability while leveling, and cost.
Level 45 I can use, say, four pieces of a major set (like Makos, Decimation, Obliteration) and fill in with some lesser triples, and pick up the 4-piece set bonuses, and get, say,
95%+ damage
95%+ recharge
57% accuracy
75-80% end reduction
That's much better -- and I get some of the better set bonuses -- BUT I don't have it for leveling and I don't have the set bonuses when I exemplar below 42. Also, notice that the damage and recharge aren't measurably better than the level 25 frankenslotting. If you like one or two enhancement values to be capped and can live with the rest, mid-level frankenslotting is VERY effective and relatively cheap.
I have been trying a range of different level slotting decisions. I have one character based mostly on 50s and Hami-Os; one based on 45s for set bonuses with selected lower level IOs thrown in; one based mostly on 25s (with higher-level IOs for the higher-level powers, since I frankenslotted him and there are no set bonuses to speak of); and I am making a character based on level 35 set bonuses.
It doesn't make that much of a difference, honestly, and there's an opportunity cost involved in trying for a specific level of sets for set bonuses -- if I'm slotting 35s and a 37 shows up for sale, I can't buy it without breaking my pattern.
My current thinking is to go for a mix -- lower-level sets or partial sets in the less important powers (so I get the set bonuses when exemplared) and mid level stuff (30-40 or so) in the key powers, 3-5 slots (until I get the set bonus I am aiming for) and then finish off by frankenslotting high level Ios like 50s in the remaining 1-3 slots (they won't give a set bonus, so go high).
End result looks like this, for example:
Ranged power = 5 level 33 Decimations, a level 50 Thunderstrike triple
Hold = 4 level 30 Basilisk's Gaze, 2 random level 50 triples
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My rule of thumb on this is the following:
- Procs: get the lowest level IO you can for that proc. Period.
- Minimums: no lower than level 25 (unless set is a 10-20 set).
- Maximums: slot power level +3 for everything you take at level 22 and higher.
With a lot of sets, where you're going for set bonuses rather than frankenslotting, there's actually a rather noticeable uptick in power throughput going from 25 to 27 ... but barely any increase at all going from 27 to pretty much 50 (depending on the power).
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
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Ok, how you slot is your business, however your rules seem to contain some misconceptions that I would like to address. If you are already aware of this then I apologize.|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
My rule of thumb on this is the following:
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First off the IO level of a proc is completely and utterly irrelevant. If you can use the power you get the benefit of the proc (this includes the procs that buff you for 120seconds like Numina's and the Stealth IOs). I think you are getting confused with Global IOs (like the LotG 7.5% or the Steadfast Protection +3% Defense) which are treated as Set Bonuses meaning you get the benefit of the proc as long as you don't exemp more than 3 levels below it's level regardless of wether you have access to the power that it's slotted in or not.
Secondly your Maximum rule. As I alluded to above you get Set Bonuses based purely on your exemped level, regardless of whether the power is available or not. Therefore basing the IO level on the Power Level is pretty much pointless for the purpose of preserving set bonuses you want to slot for your target Exemp level + 3 regardless of whether the power is available or not.
To answer the OP. I tend to slot at top level for the set because it's quicker and easier than mucking about checking a range of levels that may or may not be in stock and while I exemp occasionally I play at level 50 much more (in large part because I enjoy it a lot more). The exceptions are global IOs which I purchase at the lowest level and procs which I purchase at whatever level is easiest (generally still the top level).
If you spend a lot of time exemping I'd recommend IOs in the 26-28 or 30-33 range (depending on the available range for the set). Level 26s are the same power as +0 SOs so you aren't losing anything for performance and since exemping through Oroborus or for a TF almost always takes you to a multiple of 5 you'll keep your Set Bonuses for most content.
Generally, all my builds are designed to exemplar to level 32, therefore I buy level 35 IOs.
Level 35 IOs are a good choice because a level 50 character can exemplar as low as 32 without his or her enhancements being affected by exemplar enhancement scaling. I tend to have separate exemplar builds that are designed to preserve set bonuses as low as level 20.
It's also a nice multiple-of-5 number, for those with OCD.
For globals (LotG 7.5, BotZ -KB) I tend to buy the lowest level, for procs I will buy either 35 or maximum level. One exception are the health uniques - I usually buy minimum level since I use these when levelling up.
Most of my current heavily IO'd builds are slotted with level 50 IOs. They're more readily available, for one thing, and I was in the mindset to get the maximum bang for my buck.
I'm working on a couple of characters now where I'm trying to pick up everything at level 35 for one character and level 30 for another. This just takes time and patience, but I've almost completely IO'd out an MA/WP scrapper this way (still level 36 so some of the IOs are waiting in storage to be slotted).
my lil RWZ Challenge vid
I tend to go for level 32's most often. Not much loss in benefit and lets you go all the way down to the 25-29 arcs for Ouro and down to level 30 TF's. If not that level I still usually try to hit levels that end in 2 or 7 since lower Ouro arcs tend to exemp you to levels ending in 9 or 4. So, level 37's for example means you can still do the 30-34 arcs and keep your bonuses, etc. You of course are then good to go and only give up 1 level of bonus for TF's of that level range as well.
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True. But ...|
Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood
First off the IO level of a proc is completely and utterly irrelevant.
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... if I respec and remove a proc IO, I'd like to be available to the widest possible number of alts that I have. That means picking the lowest level of proc IO possible. This goes for "constant on" IOs as well as click IOs ... including LotG and Steadfast Protection.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood
Secondly your Maximum rule. As I alluded to above you get Set Bonuses based purely on your exemped level, regardless of whether the power is available or not.
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My understanding has always been that any (non-proc) set IO that exceeds current level +3 does not contribute towards set bonuses ... hence the level +3 maximum rule. Since the question of "what level to slot?" is only relevant in the context of a "when I exemplar" situation, the level +3 rule comes into play.
This is why typically I slot a lot of level 27 and 31 set IOs.
24 + 3 = 27 ... where 24 is a breakpoint cutoff for a whole group of flashback arcs.
28 + 3 = 31 ... where 28 is the upper limit for the Moonfire TF and 29 is the upper limit for another group of flashback arcs.
Common IOs are slotted as level 50. No reason to do anything less than 50 with common IOs.
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
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You are correct. My point was that I'm not sure why you're tying the IO level you slot to the power availability level. If I slot say level 31 IOs in a power then I will get the Set Bonuses at level 28 regardless of whether I took the power at level 1 or level 49. Your maximum statement implies that you slot IOs so that you get the Set Bonuses at any exemplaring level where the power that they are slotted in is available. The point I wanted to make is that you don't need to be able to use the power to get the benefit of it's Set Bonuses.
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Originally Posted by Redlynne
Would you be so kind as to provide a documentation link for that?
My understanding has always been that any (non-proc) set IO that exceeds current level +3 does not contribute towards set bonuses ... hence the level +3 maximum rule. Since the question of "what level to slot?" is only relevant in the context of a "when I exemplar" situation, the level +3 rule comes into play. This is why typically I slot a lot of level 27 and 31 set IOs. 24 + 3 = 27 ... where 24 is a breakpoint cutoff for a whole group of flashback arcs. 28 + 3 = 31 ... where 28 is the upper limit for the Moonfire TF and 29 is the upper limit for another group of flashback arcs. |
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm actually still confused (just about what might work best for my toon), but it sounds like I won't know until I try. I mean, I don't really know how much exemplaring I will do. I'm forty now and have not done any exemplaring. I figured that might change as I get closer to 50, but maybe not. I'm thinking I will just IO close to 50 and maybe use a second build that's frankenslotted for lower level exemping. Again, thanks for all the info.
I'm curious about what level IO sets others tend to purchase. I mean, looking at builds the sets are always level 50. I don't know if this is just because it's kind of a default in Mids or if that's truly what people use. I've got my first char to level 40 and in the process of getting a set of ToD. My first plan was to get sets in the lower 40s so I could atleast exemplar down to level 40 or so without losing my bonuses. For some sets this doesn't seem like a big deal (i.e. Blessing of the Zephyr, Red Fortune) but for others the small difference might actually be noticeable (i.e. Obliteration, Mako). So just curious what's the norm in terms of IO set levels?