Leveling with common IOs worth it?

Hi All!

So glad this game is back. I’m currently jumping between several alts sub level 20. However, I’m starting to take one or two past 20 and want to get one to level cap to start earning more inf.

However to get there I’m going to need some enhancements. I don’t particularly want to waste inf on DOs. I also was thinking that outfitting myself in SOs every time they become ineffective is also somewhat of a waste.

So my next thought of course was IOs.  I had to leave this game early on due to leaving the country and not having internet for years. So I never really got into IOs. From what I understand, they don’t lose effectiveness as you level. I also gather that higher level IOs have better effect than SOs. However, even the common IOs (without set bonuses) are pretty pricey as someone starting out.  In the long run though it seems like it would be cheaper than going through several sets of DOs and SOs.

I think I’m going to just craft some low-mid level common IOs. It looks like level 25 IOs are about equivalent to SOs. However, their is a pretty big price jump starting at level 20. It looks like level 15 IOs give a decent stat performance, but is much cheaper.

So now my questions:

Do you think that crafting a full set of level 15 IO will get me through to level 50 just fine? I’m sure I can start earning more inf then and get better enhancements then.

Or should I spend more inf and try to craft a set of level 25 IOs?  Or is there a good (cheapish) set IO that would work fine? Or should I just go the traditional route with DOs and SOs?

It's a very iffy thing but certainly can be done. The thing is that although they do not degrade to the point of ineffectiveness, they are dependent on their level for how much benefit you get. If you start with say lvl 15 IOs, but 25 you will be underperforming compared to SOs by a pretty good degree. And it's a rather expensive degree, I might add.

Just my personal preference, but I tend to not really use IO's until 22 or so when I start on sets, and use them for things I don't have the sets for yet. But I always intend for them to be replaced over the next 28 levels by IO sets or better IOs.

I would say lvl 20/25 IO's would be good to 50 if you wanna save on Inf.  That's my plan anyways, as I find it far too expensive and annoying to keep your enhancement out of the red otherwise.  As I level to 50 I will keep an eye on IO sets that I want as endgame build.

Leveling to 50 with level 15 IOs will be difficult, it's like leveling to 50 with DOs sure you can do it but it's not great.

Personally I recommend slotting level 25 or better IOs when leveling (I tend to slot level 25s at 22 and then use higher tier ones for new slots only). While it is more expensive than SOs in the short term you save quite a bit of inf by not having to replace your enhancements every 5 levels.

If you're having cash flow problems the simple option is to run a TF or some story arcs and use the merits to get some inf. If you trade merits for Enhancements Boosters or Enhancement Converters you can get about 500K per merit (after market fees) which should cover your IO costs pretty easily.

I would say lvl 20/25 IO's would be good to 50 if you wanna save on Inf.  That's my plan anyways, as I find it far too expensive and annoying to keep your enhancement out of the red otherwise.  As I level to 50 I will keep an eye on IO sets that I want as endgame build.

I agree with you totally. I'm taking the slightly different approach with a few IO sets at 25+, but I plan on respecs to pass them off to other lowbies when I outlevel them. We will see how it turns out lol.

The best bang for your buck is to use level 25 IO's at 22.  They are nearly the same effectiveness as SO's and will easily last you until you hit 50.  Then you can slot higher level IO's as you can for newer slots. 

It's a complete waste to use SO's and you will spend FAR more in the long run then you would by making IO's. 

Get a good enough build for your toon.  And I'd say don't bother with L15 common IOs for leveling.  Find a way to level to 22.  Only slot for Accuracy and little else, with what drops and avoid buying.  Keep the salvage and recipes (having your own SG base and its storage helps here), sell the enhancements and at low level even inspirations to get an Influence float.  4 Death-From-Below's and some teaming will do it.  Maybe a Positron TF #1 and #2, maybe a Synapse.

Once you're level 22, take the Invention arc in either Steel Canyon or Cap Au Diablo and get a L25 Accuracy IO.  Then craft enough common L25 IOs to slot your toon.  If you'd running more than one alt, share the salvage and recipes (again a personal SG base helps) on one crafter.  Have the crafter do enough L25 and L30 IOs to get those Invention Badges, as it increases your Invention salvage capacity and makes L25 IOs cheaper to craft (no recipes needed).

Buy the recipes and the common and uncommon salvage you need but don't have off of the Auction House, but be sure to limit this to what you really need at this point.  You're not crafting for a great build right now, just a good enough one to continue leveling.  Don't find the buy-now price at the Auction House, put in a lower bid and wait.  Avoid buying rare salvage.  Craft some high priced IOs and sell them to finance things.  Accumulate an Influence float so you can afford to post the stuff to sell at the Auction House for a good value and not just 1 to get whoever has the highest bid right now.

Continue using L25 common IOs until you get to 50.  Then think about accumulating the fancy IOs to slot the build then.  Lots more detail to how to do things well, but this is a start.

Final builds for a level 50 are complex.  They should allow for some exemplaring, as you will be running task forces.  Also, be careful how you spend Reward Merits, special Enhancement salvage, and Empies once you get to 50.  There are a few best ways to use them and many that are a waste.  Learn the better ways.

Lvl 25 io's at lvl 22, and have fun till the late 30's early 40's, by then your info and recipe drops are easily enough to buy better.

Lvl 25 io's at lvl 22, and have fun till the late 30's early 40's, by then your info and recipe drops are easily enough to buy better.

Did this on live for (too?) many characters once it became available.

Build/Buy plain old IOs (mostly) and fill up the slots as you get them.

Start at 22, when you get to 27, use 30's if you like/have/find, etc., until you hit 40-ish and both understand the character and know if it's worth investing any more resources into...several hit this stage (or earlier) and flounder, pouring resources into the next experiment, etc., until you find a goood one, by then you have lots of resources to really trick out 'the one' you like...until you roll the next one...

Thanks all. That is some good info. I will start by crafting level 25 IOs for the slots I have and then fill the later slots with higher level IOs.

Any other info is welcome if anyone else has more to say.

Keeping your Enhancements up to date is a pain since you will quickly out level them.

So levels 10 - 35 are a major pain but it does get better since you will start to earn more once you get into your 30's.

But yes you could just use the lower level Enhancements until you get to around 40 but soloing will become painful.

Also take missions that align to your power so that you can save some money by equipping drops.

Leveling with common IOs worth it?

In short, yes.

In less short, yes... maybe just replace them every 10 levels, which should be easily do-able if you're using reward merits to get "free inf" as other posters have stated.

Leveling with common IOs worth it?

 

In short, yes.

 

In less short, yes... maybe just replace them every 10 levels, which should be easily do-able if you're using reward merits to get "free inf" as other posters have stated.

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

Leveling with common IOs worth it?

 

In short, yes.

 

In less short, yes... maybe just replace them every 10 levels, which should be easily do-able if you're using reward merits to get "free inf" as other posters have stated.

 

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

I'd suggest saving those set IOs for when you're at level 50 and start rolling in the dough.

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

Just use commons!

No need for sets until much later in the game, unless there is a very specific something like KB/KN you might want to get.

IMO, it's just a waste to do more than plain IOs, and upgrade here and there, until way later.

On this version, it will be easier to move them around, but still.

Just my pennies.

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

 

Just use commons!

No need for sets until much later in the game, unless there is a very specific something like KB/KN you might want to get.

IMO, it's just a waste to do more than plain IOs, and upgrade here and there, until way later.

On this version, it will be easier to move them around, but still.

 

Just my pennies.

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

 

Just use commons!

No need for sets until much later in the game, unless there is a very specific something like KB/KN you might want to get.

IMO, it's just a waste to do more than plain IOs, and upgrade here and there, until way later.

On this version, it will be easier to move them around, but still.

 

Just my pennies.

Agreed, don't waste money on sets until your at end game.  They arent needed for leveling. 

I get my common IO's at 27 or 32, and they hold me until 50.

If you want to get even fancier, you can unslot them all when you respec at 50 (or using enhancement unslotters) and save the commonly used ones such as end red, heal, end mod, and recharge, for your toons later. I store them in a special table in my SG base.

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

It's worth checking market prices. In a lot of cases buying recipes directly with merits is less efficient than buying another item, selling it and using the Inf to buy the recipes that you actually need. Enhancement Boosters/Converters currently offer a better Inf:Merit ratio than most recipes.

Yes.

Leveling with common IOs worth it?

 

In short, yes.

 

In less short, yes... maybe just replace them every 10 levels, which should be easily do-able if you're using reward merits to get "free inf" as other posters have stated.

 

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

 

I'd suggest saving those set IOs for when you're at level 50 and start rolling in the dough.

I agree, normally that's what I do. But the lure of perma-dom by thirties is just too compelling. We suffer for our art :)

I really really wish I could afford to do that, and maybe I will eventually. But man buying some of those harder-to-get Set IO's just takes every bit of merits I come across right now.

 

Just use commons!

No need for sets until much later in the game, unless there is a very specific something like KB/KN you might want to get.

IMO, it's just a waste to do more than plain IOs, and upgrade here and there, until way later.

On this version, it will be easier to move them around, but still.

 

Just my pennies.

I appreciate it, but it's as you say, the individual IO's with bonuses (LotG recharge, Aegis +def, -KB) that I'm going for.  Otherwise I'm with you, plain IO's and several specific IO's versus sets.

I agree, normally that's what I do. But the lure of perma-dom by thirties is just too compelling. We suffer for our art :)

Sweet, sweeeet, suffering...

Yeah, there are some tricks and as you learn them, awesome appears.

I think we have a few people still thinking they will have 'just this one main character and no more", or that all descions are set in stone...

Boy are they wrong. ;)

I appreciate it, but it's as you say, the individual IO's with bonuses (LotG recharge, Aegis +def, -KB) that I'm going for.  Otherwise I'm with you, plain IO's and several specific IO's versus sets.

I understand.

They are nice.

I still don't bother until way later, unless I happen to own them. :)

IMO, characters in CoH have long been fun _because_ until way later, there is no real need for them.

We can share merits between chracters, which changes things a bit too.

I think many of us just wanted you to know it's not a carrot that you have to chase very hard...

I agree, normally that's what I do. But the lure of perma-dom by thirties is just too compelling. We suffer for our art :)

 

Sweet, sweeeet, suffering...

 

Yeah, there are some tricks and as you learn them, awesome appears.

 

I think we have a few people still thinking they will have 'just this one main character and no more", or that all descions are set in stone...

 

Boy are they wrong. ;)

No lie there. But do you mean people are still playing one or two characters, not a stable of dozens? Say it ain't so!

I've got a penchant for taking squishies like blasters, doms, corrs/def, and getting pretty close to soft-cap defense with them. It works much better with some than others, and takes a hell of a lot of time, influence, and planning. But that feeling when you get it right is worth it. Thank God Mids' is still around, if not updated fully.