Curse

HawkofStorms · Apr 12, 2009, 04:12 PM // 16:12

True dat Mitharan. Lotus staffs are awesome. All hail Aborstone farming.

MithranArkanere · Apr 12, 2009, 04:32 PM // 16:32

Also, I think that it won't harm if all collectors had a last 'alternate' item at the end of the list after the weapons or armor. Something that is not a weapon but may be useful, like Hunter's Ale, XP scrolls, -5% DP cookie...
This that those players that are already fully equipped could use so no trophies ends up as something no one use anymore and discard or not pick up at all.

There are some Nightfall and Eye of the North collectors that have exclusively that kind of items. But I mean to put the list of weapons, and on its end, the 'extra' alternate item.

Chthon · Apr 12, 2009, 04:47 PM // 16:47

20/20 foci and staves are nice. Given the cost of the inscriptions to replicate these, I still use a lot of them.

Also I <3 lotus staves.

Eragon Zarroc · Apr 13, 2009, 02:39 AM // 02:39

for the most part, useless. but they are cool just to have around i suppose ;-) harkens back to the olden days =D. especially when they didn't show up on the map, lol

Longasc · Apr 13, 2009, 07:57 AM // 07:57

Most collectores are indeed useless/superfluous.

But especially EOTN collectors offer excellent max stat items. Zweistein already mentioned the great +30 HP shields with inscription slot.

* Prophecies was made during a time where levelling up made up almost the whole chapter. Now we have Nightfall and Factions with extremely short levelling, where only max stat items make sense.

* I think the problem is that too many collectors offer undesirable items with very unattractive conditional modifiers, like "while hexed". This is also a problem of the available item mods. 15^50 is a very easy condition to achieve, 15% while enchanted for example is not bad, but simply not nearly as flexible.

I just think we have too many outright CRAPPY collectors. The idea itself is great.

I can also Collectors exchanging drops for raw materials, maybe not every rare material, but some.

mazey vorstagg · Apr 13, 2009, 09:27 AM // 09:27

Collectors only suck because our weapons cap out and never need improving. If, in GW2, there was no cap to a weapon's capability, then collectors with hard to find items in hard to reach places offering decent rewards would be very cool

Kanyatta · Apr 13, 2009, 03:54 PM // 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucist Ovv

Also <3 to the 40/40 weapon set crafters. Or for a high energy set. I think they are getting more used they you think. They just should add more different skins to them, as they kind of all have the same ones.

QFT.

You can get weapons with the stats of greens for 5 Monster Drops. I say it's an amazing deal and I take advantage of it whenever possible. Though, the skins are usually really bad (besides the Lotus Staffs, I love those things).

Yeah, the amount of really really bad collector weapons far exceeds the amount of good collector weapons (I've never found a use for a sword that's dmg +20% while hexed), but I personally use collectors pretty regularly.

Voodoo Rage · Apr 13, 2009, 03:59 PM // 15:59

The trick is remembering what collector's items are worth saving. Off the top of my head I know that Warden Horns, Bleached Carapace Shells, Celestial Essence, and Massive Jaw Bones all yield a 20/20 necro focus. I forgot what gives you an 20/20 Accursed Focus but it actually has a nice skin (diamond shaped shield that can be dyed to match your armor nicely).

JASON626 · Apr 13, 2009, 06:40 PM // 18:40

I think the non max armor collectors are worthless but some weapon ones i'ved for heroes.

_Nihilist_ · Apr 13, 2009, 09:35 PM // 21:35

In the Crystal Desert you can start to get some really good Collector Weapons:

5 Dessicated Hydra Claws get you:
req9 15-28dmg 15^50 Shortbow
req9 11-22dmg +10e 20% HSR, 20% HCT (Curses) Wicked Staff (Dark Damage!)
req9 +12e 20/20 Healing Ankh (Healing Prayers)
req9 +12e 20/20 Jeweled Chalice (Inspiration Magic)

5 Iridescent Griffon Wings get you:
req9 +12e 20/20 Jeweled Chakram (Illusion Magic)
req9 +12e 20/20 Frost Artifact (Water Magic)

5 Topaz Crests get you:
req9 11-22dmg +10e 20% HSR, 20% HCT (Domination) Inscribed Staff (Chaos Damage!)
req9 11-22dmg +10e 20% HSR, 20% HCT (Blood) Cruel Staff (Dark Damage!)
req9 15-28dmg 15^50 Recurve Bow

5 Spiny Seeds get you:
req9 +12e 20/20 Inscribed Chakram (Domination Magic)
req9 +12e 20/20 Grim Cesta (Soul Reaping)

5 Dune Burrower Jaws get you:
req9 +12e 20/20 Grim Cesta (Death Magic)
req9 +12e 20/20 Flame Artifact (Fire Magic)
req9 6-28dmg 15^stance Ascalon Battle Axe
req9 15-28dmg 15^50 Ascalon Long Bow

5 Jade Mandibles get you:
req9 11-22dmg +10e 20% HSR, 20% HCT (Smiting) Smiting Staff (Holy Damage!)

5 Massive Jawbones get you:
req9 11-22dmg +10e 20% HRS, 20% HCT (Domination) Inscribed Staff (Chaos Damage!)

Chaos, Dark, and Holy damage on certain staves are amazing, if you plan on wanding something, and with "Forget Me Not" inscriptions going for insane amounts of cash (~20k iirc), I'd much rather farm 5 drops than shell out cash for my Heroes and secondary characters to have max gear (my Warrior gets spoiled, everyone else still has to earn their stuff, dammit!).

Skyy High · Apr 14, 2009, 02:34 AM // 02:34

Collectors are awesome. Only reliable way for a PvE char to get a perfect focus, given how rare and expensive perfect focus inscriptions tend to be...the last really expensive ones, too.

Saphrium · Apr 21, 2009, 04:38 AM // 04:38

A few months back I started a new account with nothing, I find collectors the most reliable resource for useful weapons and armors stats. Plus if you are a prophecy only character, collectors are the only way you can get max Krytan armor as a monk.

Owik Gall · Apr 21, 2009, 05:02 AM // 05:02

Use the services of the collectors as best as you can. Their stuff is a start, but a good start. Don't expect anymore, or ask the same.

Anyways, wait until the game comes out before you complain about its features.

Aldric · Apr 21, 2009, 01:03 PM // 13:03

I think collecters were and still are a very useful set of NPC's.

All my character started out with collecters weapons. I'm was a bit of a packrat so always kept the collectable drops and when i started a new character I always went and got them a range of standard weapon sets (20/20 sets/high energy etc). Granted alot of them are crap but many are not and i still use a load of +5 and 15^50 collecter bows for making the odd speciality bow for occasional use

The are also very good for outfitting multiple sets of heros with.

Shadowhaze · Apr 21, 2009, 05:59 PM // 17:59

I like collectors and have used them a lot for either weapons for myself when just starting, finding a perfect weapon (one with stats I needed for something) that wouldn't break the bank, or equipping my heroes.

spirit of defeat · Apr 21, 2009, 06:53 PM // 18:53

When I need weapons I firts grind the collectors, and replace them slowly with greens/golds.

Cirian · Apr 21, 2009, 07:14 PM // 19:14

Collectors are great. I use a mix of golds and collector weapons on my characters; some of the collector/crafter weapons are very cool items because they either have a nice skin, a cool particle effect or both.

There's also a good choice of maxed stats on collector weapons that make them appealing.

Red Sonya · Apr 22, 2009, 04:24 AM // 04:24

Well if anet hadn't started making everything good drop like candy collectors items would still be useful and valueable. I remember back in the days of Prophecies just getting a 15^50 w/enchanted sword or axe was a godsend. Finding a perfect anything was a godsend. Now stuff like that is so easy to get or make it's not even worth farming anymore really for anything. +30hp mods used to be like 30k now you can get them a dime a dozen for 1k many times. I've gotten so many +30hp staff heads and wrappings for 1k or 2k it's not even funny anymore. I remember when those things were god items.

So, yeah most collector gear is worthless anymore. There's a few wands out there worth collecting for Air heroes (blind bots) and I collected a few ankhs for my monks with +12e +10% recharge spells and +30hp features. But, really if you have any mind and time about you at all you can get Greens for your heroes pretty easily or just buy them for
2k - 5k.

Collecting and practically anything else in the game is a dead feature now anyways. Only thing really left to do is just farm zashien points for keys (there's another way to get tons of easy loot to improve yourself or your heroes). I get 50 keys a week easy on the average and the zashien chest is really better for getting items than the puny drops you get in PVE now.

Black Metal · Apr 22, 2009, 04:49 AM // 04:49

Yep, like others, when I read this thread, I was sucked into the past where there was only Proph. Then, they were relevant.

Now, as mentioned, it's so fast to level a character, and get to the areas where most items drop have inscription slots and are inscribable. Add in chest running, weekend events where you farm raptors/vaettirs, and there's a huge influx of max gold inscribable r9 weapons + perf mods, and you can make whatever you want. Also, all the /bonusitem starting with Factions and the insanely versatile Hourglass Staff. After 4 years of playerbase accumulations, collectors have not a whisper of the relevance they originally had. I'm inclined to say that's a good thing -- there are more ways to get what you want. That said, there's a nostalgic quality to having to work to earn something, with the work being proportional to the reward.

I remember when if you could salvage off a +5e staff head, that was 1 minute of spamming in ToA to get an easy 20k. For 2-3 years I haven't even bothered salvaging them off if I wanted to merch the skin.

kazjun · Apr 23, 2009, 02:45 AM // 02:45

They're great for new characters or those on a budget. Perfect mods on max gear all at req 9 without farming greens constantly (and guys with prophs only are really limited in the greens they can get without buying from other players). Why get rid of it? Good for heroes too if you don't want to spend the time looking for mods for 25 heroe's weaps.