Socketing to get Max effect from slots to stack with item bonuses?

[Slick88gt 2]

I've tried to do some research on socketing here and in the wiki but all I'm coming up with is instructions on how to socket. I'm looking for a general guidline as to what I should socket to get the maximum effect out of my slots so that they also stack with bonuses on an item. Should I always use the blacksmith 'whet' ability on weapons? For my armor if I don't need any LL or CA bonuses what sort of rings or amulets should I look for to use? Should I go with resistances to damage types or look for +defense or what? If you could explain what sort of things you guys try to stack I would really appreciate it. I'm having a lot of trouble shopping for amulets, I have a level 20 bargainer with bargaining at his level and +14 from gear and rarely see amulets. I'm honestly not impressed with any of the bonuses from rings or amulets so I end up just socketing blacksmith arts and it seems like I'm missing something, maybe I'm just too low of a level.

[snacksmoto 0]

For your bargainer character, can I assume it'll never leave level 20? If so, don't forget that you can get relics with +bargaining. I believe at level 20, it'll be +2 each. I, too, find that +skills amulets/rings are rare to find while shopping, but it seems to be more frequent if you continue to add to your bargaining suit. For the bargaining suit, the more sockets the better. Sockets with an ingrained +skills/+general skills/+bargaining is sweet heaped on sweet, but very rare. The more you can pump up your bargaining skill over the character level, the better. It'll make finding more +skills jewelry easier. If that bargainer character will be leveled more, I wouldn't put in the time to pimp out the bargaining suit as you'll begin to find better replacement parts.

 

As for regular socket use, I'm pretty stingy with the few good pieces of jewelry that I have found. I place a good one with +skills or Regeneration per Hit in the best socket. (RpH apparently doesn't work in pre-Ice & Blood expansion) As for other sockets, I tend to put in a mix of Anneal and Whet smith arts. I find it helps with my early game survivability with direct additions to offense and defense. It also allows me to pull the single piece of jewelry without losing any others and without having to sell/buyback an equipment piece to remove a blacksmith art from a solo socket. I tend not to put in Enhance arts since it tends to mess me up with my actual regen times when I change gear. Only if a piece of equipment gives a large CA bonus will I put in Enhance to offset the increase in the regen time. In the early game, +2 or +3 CA can make for a big increase in your regen time since you don't have a large Focus skill to absorb the boost.

 

If I still have trouble hitting, I'll socket Chance that Opponents Cannot Evade Attacks. I tend to avoid the +% single element damage unless I'm on a character focused on that element, I.e. +% Ice damage on a Glacial Thorns focused Elf, but only if it's more than what I can get with a Whet smith art. In higher difficulties, I'll start looking for Deathblow since the percentages will be higher. Deathblow has diminishing returns when you stack multiple sources and low level/low difficulty pieces don't give you enough to be effective.

[lujate 575]

What to socket is build and platform specific, so it is hard to provide general recommendations.

[gogoblender 3,068]

As Lujate said, socketing is hugely build dependant. However, in a lot of builds I've used, a few came in very handy. I'm a damage lover, so critical, RPH, deathblow, all seemed to find their way into my melee, ranged builds with monoelemental damage and smith art damage very useful for purely magical builds.

 

 

gogo

[essjayehm 58]

I originally had the same thought/opinion as Lujate and Gogo... but there is a "general" way to consider your socketing... to shore up the weaknesses from your gear.

 

This is especially true for my style of play, which is to have every toon with bargaining and "jigsaw" together bargained armour/weaponry with a few slots to fit in some extra +COCE or evasion(melee toons), runes for extra CA levels, or even just damage if nothing else is really needed.

 

The other style of socketing I used... to push some stats as high as they can go. Getting damage mitigation pumped up as high as possible, or stunning, or chance to find valuables, experience per kill, etc... all can be socketed to get you that extra little "oomph" that you aren't quite getting from your gear.

[gogoblender 3,068]

heh, now you got me thinking about this...and you're right. If we consider the armor the start, and our choice of it comprising the majority and base part of our build out, the "socketing" part is there to amp to extraordinary degrees the particular armor's expertise or, cover it's greatest weaknesses.

 

 

gogo

[Slick88gt 2]

Hmmmm, ok so I guess I'm not quite sure what stats are more important than others. This will be mainly focused for a melee SW and a melee seraphim. I don't know if I want super high resistances or if I should prioritize defense. I've read about RpH and Deathblow but have no clue what COCE is. You said you shore up the weaknesses from your gear. That's the part I don't understand. I look at a piece of gear and have no idea what it's weaknesses are. Basically when I choose one helm over the other all I understand is that helm 'x' has an armor value of 20 and +2 to hafted weapons, and helm 'y' has an armor value of 40 and +2 to swords. If I have hafted weapons skill do I want helm 'x' for that bonus or do I want helm 'y' for it's greater armor? I know it may not be that important at lower levels but I want to understand how it works so I don't suck at higher levels. The only way I know to compare gear is to compare the values of exact bonuses from one to another. If it has a whole different bonus I don't know which is better and I don't know what to check to see what I'm lacking. I gues what I'm getting at is I don't know what sort of things I want higher than others, when I look at my gear I really don't know what works best with whst. All I'm going on at this point is what has a higher value of the same thing, and I basically just use whatever gear gives me a bonus to a skill I have taken. I had the same confusion in Sacred 1 and I think that's why my toons started to diminish in effect around level 100. Except my Wood Elf, thorn bush was OP. Thats a diff topic though BTW I have spent a lot of time in the builds section and believe I have full comprehension on what relevence the skills have for what character I'm trying to build so I feel confident that far.

[Stormwing 40]

COCE - Chance of Enemies Can't Evade, if memory serves.

 

And currently blasting away with my Ice HE in Plat. Guess I should do some respecing in regards of damages, as she already have about 17K armor, but only 900~ damage per thorn.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Stormwing

[essjayehm 58]

Hmmmm, ok so I guess I'm not quite sure what stats are more important than others. The only way I know to compare gear is to compare the values of exact bonuses from one to another. If it has a whole different bonus I don't know which is better and I don't know what to check to see what I'm lacking. I gues what I'm getting at is I don't know what sort of things I want higher than others, when I look at my gear I really don't know what works best with whst.

This takes time to learn, and is best learned by playing, IMO.

 

BTW I have spent a lot of time in the builds section and believe I have full comprehension on what relevence the skills have for what character I'm trying to build so I feel confident that far.

And the same comprehension with regards to Item Modifiers will come with time - playing and/or reading.