Why use lvl 30 sets instead of lvl 25 etc

So I've noticed most mentioning starting slotting sets at level 30 in their characters. I'm curious as why this is. I even tend to notice the level 30 IO sets easier to find/sell versus lower level ones.

One of the reasons why I ask is that I have a lvl 22 Warshade who I've already started putting level 25 sets into to gain recharge bonuses (such as LotG and Positron's Blast). I didn't see a dramatic difference in percentage points between that and level 30 sets. I figured I could shoot for set bonuses now and upgrade the IOs to higher level versions as I get higher in level. Am I missing something basic here?

(Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I figure you all seem to know the most on IO's etc.)

Probably mostly a personal choice, but a level 30 IO is comparable to a level 50 SO so far as I can remember. For me though, level 30 is a nice balance between "I want to be able to exempt down" and "I want my IOs to give me good enchancement percentages, if not level 50". If that makes sense.

Also, level 30 is where some of the higher IO sets start -- Numina, for example. It's rare that I use a set that caps below level 30 or doesn't even begin until 35... for the latter, I'm only familiar with one of the sniper sets that I've used a couple of times. Level 30 is where you have the greatest variety of IOs available (set IOs). Which is actually why I don't like random rolls in that level, there's a greater number of junk sets that you can wind up with.

For generic IOs, I'd guess the "30 IO is comparable to a 50 SO" theory is the driving force.

It gets mathy.

A lot of it depends on how you IO while you level up.

I think most people do one of these two things:
1) Storebought for the lower levels, Generic IO's at 25 or 30, fancy stuff at 50
2) Storebought for the lower levels, "frankenslot" at some point between 25 and 35, fancy stuff at 50

In case 1), a L25 generic IO is a little worse than a "white" SO. and distinctly worse than a +3 "Green" SO. (+3 green SO is 38.3% or so, white SO is 33.3%, L25 generic is 32%. ) A L30 is 35.2% or something, so about as good as decently-upkept SOs and a whole lot easier.

In case 2), L25 frankenslotting is still about the same as +3 greens. 32% * 0.625 = 20%/20% so two of those will give you 40%/40%. L30 gives you 44%/44%, a noticeable difference compared to the 38.3%/38.3% from a pair of +3 greens (L35 gives you about 46%. L50 gives you 53%.)

One practical "availability" reason to slot 30's is that invading Rikti and zombies drop 30's. So there's a spike in availability.

Personally I tend to frankenslot a little bit at L22 (L25 acc/dam pairs for convenience) but don't really frankenslot till about level 30-32. Then in the 45-50 range I start slotting for high-end stuff, if I'm going to at all. I've got a tendency to overdesign, though.

This is probably a little incoherent, because I've done this math so much it's obvious to me.

I usually go for level 34 - 37 myself. I don't typically exemplar in anything below it very often and most of that stuff is pretty easy to where my purple and pvp sets will still help me.

Thunderstrike and Crushing Impact become available at level 30, and are two of the staple sets for most of my characters. Also, at 27 I usually have enough slots to start filling out my attack powers to accomodate sets for the good bonuses.

I have slotted other sets lower on, eg Kinetic Combat or occasionally Positron's Blast, but yes, they are hard to find at lower levels. There is no real reson why you should hold off if you have them though - the percentage point differences are small.

All the answers in this thread are good ones, but honestly, I've been slogging through on storebought SO's until 42 on the last few toons.

Why?

I'm so freakin' cheap, the mid-level salvage prices drive me insane.

I'd rather suffer a few more levels and then IO out.

And yeah, I could clear out a few salvage bins and roll commons and stock up....but I am ridiculously lazy, to boot.

I slot anything I can find or roll as soon as I get it. I tend not to upgrade later. I have 3 incarnated characters with multiple level 14 IOs slotted.

If you want to keep costs down, lvl 25 sets don't require the 1+ mil rare/orange salvage. For example, lv 25 Sciroco's dervish requires yelllow salv but lvl 26+ requires orange salvage.

I slot 30-33's because they exemplar down well for TFs, and also as a relic from the time I've spent in Sirens Call.

I slot common I/O's at level 15 and let them sit till I can slot 25's.

On some powers like Entrapment I can get 3 slots worth effect from slotting 3 cheap triples at level 15 so I do that as well.

Around 20 I start planning what I would like to slot, bidding and crafting and storing in my SG base so that when I hit 27 I can slot my sets at 30.

I don't exempt all that often, but I enjoy have the effects of the set bonuses in place on the ride from 30 to 50. So I slot at 30. I also like to slot procs as low as I can so my 50 who are able get hero merits and buy level 15 stealth procs and the very hard to find quads and and triples of sets I want to slot at 30.

Plus, it's more challenging to puts sets together at 30 as the market is a lot skimpier.

As far as what to spend money on besides toon upgrades, Like Fulmens, I have spent a lot (3 or 4 billion represents about 15% of my wealth) on Supergroup bases on various servers. I have some 70 toons that I eventually plan to level, most them will just get good I/O sets, almost no purples so there is only so much money you can spend playing like that.

I just use lev 25 commons until i hit 50. Why? I don't spend hours in WW looking for 0 IO's under 50. When i do try to IO a toon at 22 with lev 25's (frankenslotting) i can never find any. So, i just wait until i hit 50 and use lev 50s. The purples go with me when i exmp so i don't really tell any difference in my toons performances.

If you don't trust yourself with a respec, couldn't you just put new, higher-level items in the same slots? Level 40 serendips instead of level 18? Step on them and squish them!

Stop sighing and send yourself a global email with 10% of your profits. collect and reply every time you sell something big. [remember to trim the contents every once in a while.]

Spend the profits on in-place replacements.

Or change your sig to "mediocrity is all right, I guess."

I've always liked the "pay to change" option, but I'm a fee-charging inflation-fighting weirdo like that