Frame upgrades

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Considering the changes to PUP over the last week, I'm curious as to what the most prudent approach to acquirring my frames would be. Seeing as PUP now has a pet that use high tier White and Black Magic, I'm almost inclined to go for the Stormwalker frame at first opportunity.

But prior to the updates, it was said Sharpshot or Valoredge would be better for melee skillups. Curious as to where I should start, I am also thinking of BCNMing up gil just to get all my attachments done at once.

[Nataka]

Re: Frame upgrades

People were saying to get valoredge before stormwalker? Huh.

The way I heard it before this update, was that you wanted to get Sharpshot, then Stormwalker, THEN valoredge. The reasoning was that sharpshot was the only frame that granted you access to the ranged skill which you needed to get caught up. Plus you also had access to the Harly frame which would give you both magic and melee skill ups. Getting stormwalker second also gave you this while getting Valoredge would only give you melee skill ups.

NOW though...I dunno. There is an obvious 'magic' trend appearing with the frames, but with Harly you can get magic skill ups if you get valor before storm walker. Tough decision. XD

Hopefully a more experienced pup will give us a more straight answer. It's probably largerly personal choice since once you get sharpshot, the ability to skill up each of the 3 attack skills (melee, magic and ranged) become open to you.

[KingOfZeal]

Re: Frame upgrades

I would still say to go Sharpshot as absolute first... the damage that it can put out is amazing, at least from what I have seen.

As far as the second two, and noting that your goal is the new heads, it really doesn't matter. When you reach 20, think for yourself what would be more beneficial (I would probably go mage frame as the second frame since you don't need much shield bashing until CN) and then go Valoredge. Since you can't get either of the new heads until 40, it really is more toward your own personal needs and feelings. The only real things that stormwaker and valoredge do (apart from the shield bash that valoredge does) is increase the cap for magic and melee skills, respectively, from B- with the Harlequin to A-. Neither of those increases will be much of a difference pre-50, much less from 20-30, at least as far as accuracy is concerned. The stormwaker might learn one or two spells a level early compared to the harly.


Personally, I went Valoredge -> Stormwaker -> Sharpshot, and now I'm using Stormwaker almost full time, occassionally swapping out for Sharpshot to get it's skill capped. Even with a D melee skill with Stormwaker, it can still pump out a bit of damage (at 44), and it keeps the melee skill reasonably leveled.

In short, there is no actual benefit from getting the stormwaker frame immediately, as it seems you are looking to do, than from getting it at 20 or 30, since the Harlequin can keep up fairly well. In fact, getting the storm first might even hinder your abilities, unless you are planning on soloing 1-75.

[Deneb]

Re: Frame upgrades

I would have taken Sharpshot first had I known then what I do now. Skilling it up at 20 was pure hell. Mage frame early on seemed kinda eh too, I didn't really start using it much till 30 though it was my first frame. Got VE last.

[Celeal]

Re: Frame upgrades

IMHO, unless you are trying to reach lvl 75 ASAP, it really does not matter.

From my 1st hand experience, for skilling up automation's magic using the starter head and frame at low levels, your PUP will level up faster than capping the magic skill, because the magic-casting frequency of the starter set is slow.

Second, with 20 minutes activation timer, your PUP is not going to switch head/frame/attachments like how BLU re-configurating spells or melee switching weapons for capping skill. If the PUP screwed up while configurating the automation, he is screwed for 20 minutes.

[KingOfZeal]

Re: Frame upgrades

Second, with 20 minutes activation timer, your PUP is not going to switch head/frame/attachments like how BLU re-configurating spells or melee switching weapons for capping skill. If the PUP screwed up while configurating the automation, he is screwed for 20 minutes.

Assuming, of course, that the puppet is fatally injured or is otherwise unable to heal to full.

I seem to be reminding a lot of people this lately, but if the puppet has 100% HP and is deactivated, the activation timer does reset to 0. If the puppet is missing even one HP, though, it won't. This does not apply to MP, either, just HP. Thus, if you were in a friendly environment (Al Zahbi when no Besieged is going on, any zone that has non-agroing creatures or creatures that won't agro you due to level difference) you can change your puppets configuration every 60 seconds, which is the cooldown timer for Deactivate.


I believe the DRG Wyvern is also like this, though since I don't play DRG (or haven't lately) I can't verify it.