What do you guys think?

 

Is it better to spend the commendations on mods to upgrade orange gear. Or use the commendations to purchase a whole new orange lightsaber/armor/weapon/etc to replace it when it becomes available?

What do you guys think?

 

Is it better to spend the commendations on mods to upgrade orange gear. Or use the commendations to purchase a whole new orange lightsaber/armor/weapon/etc to replace it when it becomes available?

 

I already have all my mod gear (minus the belt and bracers) so for the most part I use them to upgrade my outfits. Though at times after I have upgraded everything I will pick up an item or two for my companions to get them geared in the mod items.

 

I got most of my mod outfits from social items.

Edited May 2, 2012 by ScarletBlaze

If you like the look of your weapon/armor then its better to spend it on upgrades for that weapon. If you are planning on getting a new weapon or armor then buying something with comms is ok because they start out upgraded.

 

9 times out of ten, its better to get upgrades than new equipment. Less cost, more control over what you buy, and less headache trying to match gear.

I really only use Planet Comms to buy orange gear for my compannions. I'm a 400 cybertech and have a 400 artifice/biochem/armstech alts. I just make whatever i need, mods. medpacks, barrels, ears, implants. whatever i need. i just make the Blue grade, its not worth it to go for the Purple, that's way to much trouble just to upgrade a +16 mod to a +19 mod. i'll do Purple when i'm 50.

Compare the price of the complete item vs the cost of the mods. Compare if you would upgrade all mods or not.

Well that's what I do while levelling. By now I do have some crafters, you might actually like some mods from the GTN (or craft yourself) better.

 

Alas there is no preview for the weapons, sometimes I gamble on that - in the future I'll likely check the 3D modelviewer on torhead more often.

 

Edit: Don't forget your companion.

Edited May 2, 2012 by iRouven

On my first char I used them for mods. But now on my alts, I use them on the purple loot boxes. Found some great gear that way

I outlevel everything by so much that I don't bother using them on the 1st toons to level up with each faction, but then use them to buy mods for alts as they level up. Though since I have crating alts, it's usually just to "fill holes" where the crafters may be having a hard time getting the RNG to actually give me my blue recipe. Or if I'm out of blue mats and don't feel like waiting for missions to run. I will only by enhancements and mods, though. I won't buy armorings or weapon hilts/barrels. Those make my commendation stockpile go "poof" in a hurry if I do.

I outlevel everything by so much that I don't bother using them on the 1st toons to level up with each faction, but then use them to buy mods for alts as they level up. Though since I have crating alts, it's usually just to "fill holes" where the crafters may be having a hard time getting the RNG to actually give me my blue recipe. Or if I'm out of blue mats and don't feel like waiting for missions to run. I will only by enhancements and mods, though. I won't buy armorings or weapon hilts/barrels. Those make my commendation stockpile go "poof" in a hurry if I do.

 

This is what I do. It's much cheaper commendation-wise to make your own armor, barrels and hits since they cost 8 commendations. It's much cheaper material-wise to make your own mods and enhancements, since they only cost 2 commendations.

 

As far as orange gear goes, I usually skip flashpoints at level in choice of continuing to solo. I go back into flashpoints later to do the quests in there and to farm items for companions. If you have several companions of the same armor type as you this is a good way to get the shells while levelling (which annoys me as an armormech, but since most crafted orange items at low level have a class requirement, companions can't use them anyway.) Note that flashpoint loot will have a bias toward your armor type, so if your companions have different armor type it will be hit or miss.

 

Also, the first thing to check before buying things for your companions with commendations is the light/dark vendor, depending on which one (if either) you're building on. They can have good gloves and boots for you and your companions that are relatively cheap early on. They're empty, but you can use commendations to buy mods, etc.

 

After those options, then I'll buy orange items for companions, keeping in mind that I'll want commendations left over to put in modifications as needed. Any leftovers I find use by saving for alts' mods later or buying mods/augments and selling on the GTN.

 

On my first character I did buy the purple boxes, but all around I found that by being persistent with the GTN on mods and augments I could get more credits that way over time (and a sure thing is better than a pig in a poke in my book.)