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Paragon Wiki has lots of the wrong kind of information on the Merit system. Here is what you really need to know:|
Originally Posted by _Relikk_
Man, I'm totally in the same boat. I still don't have a decent level of knowledge about the merit system. Little embarrassing, considering I've been playing off and on since before it even came into the game and I've never understood the value in it. I guess Paragon Wiki has extensive information on this?
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History: Merits replaced recipe drops for completing Task Forces. In virtually all cases you now get more than 1 recipe worth. The exceptions are those people can reliably speed run in less than 45 minutes. ITF still gives barely more than 1 random recipe. You also get them for completing story arcs which lets soloists get access to the recipes they otherwise never could.
Advice: Pretend that the entire merit store does not exist except for the recipe options. If you spend your merits on anything other than recipes, I will personally come over to your house and shoot kittens in the head while you are strapped to a chair and forced to watch. Then I will frame you for it and hand you over to PETA complete with a doctored video.
Practical: You have two ways to spend merits random rolls and picking a specific recipe. Right now (this may change) picking anything other than a minimum level Luck of the Gambler 7.5% recharge is a waste of merits. No matter what else you want, get the gambler, craft it, sell it, and buy what you want and have money left over. All other uses of merits give you less inf/merit return. That said, the best way to roll randomly is either in the 30-34 or 35-39 ranges. You can also buy other recipes directly and some do that for the Numina's/Miracle unique, Kinetic Combats, Stealths or others which are not as efficient as the gambler, but if what you want isn't for sale, you might have no other choice. I personally roll all mine because I have a bajillion alts and so crafting and using a bunch of recipes is faster and less annoying than the easy money of gamblers.
Note: When you roll randomly the level bracket you pick ONLY determines what is in the random pool you are rolling against. It has no impact at all on the level of recipe you get. The recipe will always be your level or the highest level the set can generate whichever is lower. When you specifically pick a recipe use the slider bar to get it at the exact level you want. Purple and PvP recipes are not for sale via merits and never will be.
None of us understand why the Devs don't make the slider work with random rolls. This has been requested many, many times. Feel free to add your own request by PMing a dev. Do not waste the Devs time asking for purples and PvP recipes to be available via merits.
Since AE tickets were mentioned:
Best uses of AE tickets per inf return:
Rare Salvage that you can sell for over 1.8m inf (think Prophecy, Pangean Soil, etc)
Bronze Rolls 10-14, 15-19, 30-34
You cannot select specific recipes with tickets. Silver rolls are generally NOT worth the extra cost. In general it is easier to get 20 merits than 5,000 tickets so most do not consider gold rolls a good way to spend tickets. If you can get 5000 tickets more easily than 20 merits, you might want to try.
If you want actual numbers to back up the level ranges etc, search the Market forum. These topics have been covered in extensive detail and some of the guys even did testing on hundreds of rolls. In some threads you can even find exact average inf/ticket and inf/merit values for the different level ranges. of course it all changes as market prices fluctuate, but in general the advice above is solid.
"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
I can be found, outside of paragon city here.
Thank you everyone at Paragon and on Virtue. When the lights go out in November, you'll find me on Razor Bunny.
Gavin, thanks for a very thorough "nutshell" version of the merit system. It's greatly appreciated...
I think I need to work on more story arcs!
However... I seem to be stuck. I skipped earlier contacts (went right to radio missions) on my lvl 36 scrapper. Now, he's struggling to get a contact! I thought that eventually a detective will have me meet a contact, but is there a certain trick to get that process going?
Thanks!
Satan trembles when he sees...
the weakest saint on his knees.
<----- Click there to learn how you can help! Detectives introduce you to a contact after you complete a Safeguard mission. You could also go straight to RWZ or Cim and pick up the contacts there.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Soundtrack
Gavin, thanks for a very thorough "nutshell" version of the merit system. It's greatly appreciated...
I think I need to work on more story arcs! However... I seem to be stuck. I skipped earlier contacts (went right to radio missions) on my lvl 36 scrapper. Now, he's struggling to get a contact! I thought that eventually a detective will have me meet a contact, but is there a certain trick to get that process going? Thanks! |
All is not lost. What you can do is retrace your steps. It will take time, but it usually works out beautifully.
Open your inactive contact list and visit them. You will not get missions from the outleveled contact, but there is a chance you will get new contact from them. Visit the new contact, and if you have outleveled him/her too they will refer you to another contact....do this until you have run out of contacts to visit. You might be surprised.
I recall once I hit the AE building with a brand new toon, did not see my first contact, and I think I got to level 10 before it dawned on me I was cheating myself of contacts.
I was Magic Origin, so I went to Azuria and she immedietely told me to go see Seaborn in Steele Canyon. He in turn gave me the Fortune Teller mission
Good luck
Lisa.
So don't wait for heroes, do it yourself
You've got the power
winners are losers
who got up and gave it just one more try
***Dennis DeYoung
Zandock and Lisa....thank you!
Hmm, I could have sworn I did a safeguard mission and STILL have not received a contact. I'll keep tyring, however.
And I'll also try Lisa's advice.
My thanks again!
Satan trembles when he sees...
the weakest saint on his knees.
<----- Click there to learn how you can help!
Also you can hit up the Hazard Zones (Croatoa and Striga) and talk to the first contacts in each. Typically they will point you to someone new.
Then you should have at least one Midnighter contact (Montague Castanella in Steel Canyon, Percy Winkley in Croatoa, or Mercedes Sheldon inside the Midnighter's Guild if you already did Montague). Because they don't ever lock you out of the guild or you'd be unable to reach Cimerora.
"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
I can be found, outside of paragon city here.
Thank you everyone at Paragon and on Virtue. When the lights go out in November, you'll find me on Razor Bunny.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Fury Flechette
3.75% with 0 teammates in range, so yes, you get that bonus even if solo. And a bonus for each teammate in range.
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Sorry to bump this old thread, but I am just trying to get some more info on Phalanx Fighting.
My mid's does not seem to show the 3.75% when solo. Also, I just want to make sure I understand that enhancements do not increase the 3.75% base percentage, but they do increase the 2.25% for each ally in space. Is this correct?
I had planned on 2 slotting it with LoTG =7.5 and a LoTG DEF, but it seems that the LoTG DEF will not help a solo character, so I can get away with just the one slot.
@ThrillKiller
Quote:
This is correct.
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Originally Posted by Simian_Stalker
Sorry to bump this old thread, but I am just trying to get some more info on Phalanx Fighting.
My mid's does not seem to show the 3.75% when solo. Also, I just want to make sure I understand that enhancements do not increase the 3.75% base percentage, but they do increase the 2.25% for each ally in space. Is this correct? I had planned on 2 slotting it with LoTG =7.5 and a LoTG DEF, but it seems that the LoTG DEF will not help a solo character, so I can get away with just the one slot. |
To the OP: chalk up another for "yes, its a good power; put a LotG rech if u can" crew.
Werner: fire/shield actually is a good farmer. I use a build similar to the one found in the "Make me Immortal" thread a few months back that doesnt use fitness pool but has aid self, and uses the incin > scorch > creme > scorch, on average, with FSC and energy torrent with the FF proc for added recharge to taste (is soft-capped, 95% ddr, 152% rech, and i17 compliant with BotZ adjustment - pooled toons for this - not cheap). Not to mention the most important farming factor: I CAN ENJOY IT FOR HOURS ON END (if I want/am able to).
Merits are good: earn them through SF/TF's, specific story arcs, killing monsters, and prolly some other things I can't remember. Save them up for the merit venders to redeem (be sure that you scroll through their ENTIRE menu for the rhandom rolls and at particular levels as some good recipes arn't listed at all levels (example: steadfast unique if searching as a lvl50).
Miss Arc #147491: Rise of Bedlam
AKA Iron Smoke @Champion Server