Harvesting modifier gear utterly pointless - Official?

Meirril wrote:

No, I'm pretty sure what Domino means is that table #2 only has a 1% increase in the chance of a rare than table #1. This is true for all of the tiers from 3-8.
Tiers 1 & 2 have a "different difference" in the chance for their two tables. We're *assuming* the difference is greater, rather than being less than 1% Also, she doesn't say if this is an increased chance for table 1 or table 2. We're assuming table 2 of course has the best chance, but you never know
If I can stop playing my Inquisitor (ding level 80 last night!) then I might go and run some tests on the T8 benefits. If anyone fancies doing it, ideally you'll want to use a level 68 character (skill 340) and a level 80 character (skill 400) for the unbuffed tests. As you are always going to be using table 1 on the level 68 character, you can then compare this to the character with skill of 400. Then repeat with a level 80 character with skill 528 and you should be able to get a fairly good idea of the actual percentages involved.

Between an account which has a farmer working 24/7 collecting raws (and rares) for the broker and a player who actually plays content, does quests and achieves rewards that supposedly increases their skill over and above the requirements there'll only be a 1% difference?
Seems to me like the game isn't designed to reward real players.

MrWolfie wrote:

Seems to me that the game offers so much stuff that each of us is forced to make choices.
If harvesting bonus gear doesn't seem worthwhile to you, don't worry about sinking time into getting it. Do something you find more enjoyable.
If harvesting is no fun, make money in other ways, then buy any materials or rares you need. Shinies sell very well. Shimmering Citadel is a shiny farm in the gardens, and pretty much every tier of collection bits has some veryhigh priced items out there that people do buy. Or raid a lot - raiders with plat split can make some incredible cash.

MrWolfie wrote:

I can definitely tell a difference in the number of COMMON harvests I pull when I have all my gear equipped and remember to ride my unicorn rather than the flaming carpet. I seem to get a lot more 3 and 5 pulls rather than 1. With mineral salts selling for 70silver yesterday, I am making great cash.
As for an increase in rares, meh. My main toon has never seemed lucky in rares, I think the RNG likes to mess with her.

DominoDev wrote:

Thanks for confirming what others had posted, that +Harvesting gear makes so little difference that this stat should NOT be considered when evaluating quest rewards. By the way, adventurers are faced with a similar stat which does nothing -- +Focus. Focus has no real effect on the game, which is why so many items have been peppered with it. It's a nice pretty stat that does nothing.
I love ya Domino, and what you have done for Tradeskilling has been incredible. But I do not think it is unreasonable to expect increasing your Harvesting skill by 35% through lengthy quests (Tradeskill Epic, A Gathering Obsession, etc.) and being 140 points over the required tier to harvest an item to have more than a 1% effect. Guess we'll agree to disagree.

Sigrdrifa@Lucan DLere wrote:

Sorry if I expected +Harvesting to actually do something.

Asif wrote:

I was pointing out the contridictions of the post. Part 1 was the "I dont care about this fluff" and part 2 was complaining fluff was added to SC instead of as something you can earn within the game. Not every post can be directed at "you"

Personally I never noticed any difference in my harvesting with or without + stuff... and I harvest ALOT. Sometimes days and days will go by that almost no rares show up.... and days that they do. Few weeks ago when the log in servers were down and we couldnt zone if you were still ingame.. I was stuck in JW.... harvested there till we could zone again.. about 6 hrs.. and I got 10 Silicates, 3 Fire Emeralds, a handful of Incardines, and 2 Tynonnium. Like they say.. its all in the odds.. but ya just need to suck it up and harvest.harvest.harvest =))

Adeyia@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Ok, there is a difference between the base table (A) and the improved table (B). We've been told by domino that the difference between A and B is less than 1% starting at tier 2 and definately less than a 1% difference in tier 8.
So, in tier 8 what *is* the base percentage of pulling a rare on table A? Do you think it is greater than 1%? Do you think it is less than 1%? Personally I believe that the percentage is probably less than 1% on the A table. I also think the total percentage is less than 2% on the B table. If I had to guess, I'd say that the total percentage is probably less than 1.5% on the B table.
So, what does that mean? It means that while there is a significant percentage increase in the rare rate, it is going to be hardly noticable because the base numbers are very small to begin with. The difference between less than 1% but not 0% and 1.5% is almost meaningless. If the only thing you are concerned with is rare harvests, you'll be disappointed.
The real difference that harvesting gear makes is with the number of common harvests. You get a lot more 3 and 5 harvests which add up fast. Now if you don't like this...then stop questing and just harvest. Your obviously wasting your time. Me? I'll keep gathering harvesting bonuses because I use common harvests. Funny that.

Meirril wrote:

QFT QFT QFT regardless of any difference any of us have regarding this issue, THIS is what the + harvesting gear does best.
My provi loves, loves, loves , loves getting extra 3 and 5 harvests vs 1 on shrubs and fish. And the extra commons from all the other nodes, she sells to buy more smoldering mats ( that is , when fishing doesn't get her enough to make tons of magma food/drinks.)