In all actuality - it's my potential beef. And not the good kind. The unseasoned, slightly going bad kind. My problem is with the logic of why they're even in the game - to the point that I'm confused - so I'd like someone to clear it up for me.

So, I've heard from multiple people, and read from the dev blog that the reason orange items exist, or the concept behind their existence, is because someone might like the LOOK of the item - therefore it allows you keep the item for ever - and simply adding mods to give more stats appropriate to your level. That makes LOGICAL sense to me but here's what I think stale-mates the logic in that.

Orange items have inherent attributes on them that can NOT be changed - like base damage or Armor Rating. For instance my orange chest piece from Black Talon is pretty cool and stuff - but I'm already finding chest pieces with, though not better STATS, better armor. Note, I'm saying ARMOR, not armor RATING.

Now I understand Armor Mods give armor rating, but they don't give all of the armor rating that the item provides - only a portion.

So with that note in mind - EVEN IF ARMOR RATING IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS INHERENT you're going to eventually find an item with better inherent properties, thus making your orange that you want to keep inferior - thus destroying the point of orange items. The same can be applied to base damage of orange weapons. So for instance, you would have a level 50 item with like 146 armor rating on it, lol.

Unless I'm missing something here then, I understand they wanted to be different from other MMOs, and I REALLY THINK THAT'S AWESOME, but I think they should have just stopped at purples, and made purples fully moddable. That, OR made the inherent properties on oranges changeable - so everything about the item can remain appropriate to your level.

EDIT: Why else would orange items still have a level requirement? Because the armor.

Please halp.

barrels change base damage

armoring (the mod type) changes base armor

As others have already said, those stats are changed by mods. To expand upon this more, the armor or damage of an un-modded orange item is the base amount for that item type. Item type is the only aspect that cannot be changed. Thus, in the case of armor, a piece of light armor will always have less armor than a piece of heavy armor, modded or not. But, if you take two items of the same type, and put the same mod in them (armoring for armor, barrels for guns, and hilts for sword-type weapons), they will have the same armor/damage.\

And yes, moding and modable items need to be explained much, much better in the game. I am constantly trying to dispel this bit of misinformation in chat in-game.

i'm assuming hilts for sabers. i have seen the damage go up, but replaced a load of stuff at the same time. didnt care what did it to be honest, was just happy it did lol

yes, it's hilts for sabers

As others have already said, those stats are changed by mods. To expand upon this more, the armor or damage of an un-modded orange item is the base amount for that item type. Item type is the only aspect that cannot be changed. Thus, in the case of armor, a piece of light armor will always have less armor than a piece of heavy armor, modded or not. But, if you take two items of the same type, and put the same mod in them (armoring for armor, barrels for guns, and hilts for sword-type weapons), they will have the same armor/damage.\

 

And yes, moding and modable items need to be explained much, much better in the game. I am constantly trying to dispel this bit of misinformation in chat in-game.

But I'm staring at two orange chest pieces with the exact same mods in all slots - and they both have different inherent armor. The RATING is the same, because of the mods being the same, but one HAS more armor than the other.

And THAT'S what I'm talking about. There is no way to change the inherent ARMOR of the item. Thus my orange is inferior to his - even if it's so little a thing as armor.

can we get a screenshot of these items? i'd like to see, i havent experienced this. though it is possible one was way earlier, and its game design that at some point you'd replace your orange item with a higher level orange item.

it does seem a bit odd you'd be able to keep one forever

i have two guardian robes one has a base 50 armor (orange item) and one has a base 256 armor (also orange item).

I cannot bring the 50 base to match the 250 no matter what i put in it and the 250 just jumps from there with mods.

Okay I made a screen shot to show you as requested:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7920/orangearmorcomparison.jpg

They're both Medium Armor - and both have the same Armor mod - or, as you can see, the exact same Armor Rating. Yet one has clearly inferior armor to the other.

So...it really really renders the entire concept of orange armor useless - as regardless of the fact that you can fully mod them - they will STILL get out geared and out leveled.

Okay I made a screen shot to show you as requested:

 

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7920/orangearmorcomparison.jpg

 

They're both Medium Armor - and both have the same Armor mod - or, as you can see, the exact same Armor Rating. Yet one has clearly inferior armor to the other.

 

So...it really really renders the entire concept of orange armor useless - as regardless of the fact that you can fully mod them - they will STILL get out geared and out leveled.

Tho other jacket is a lower level jacket dude, not to mention the other two mods which also increases your armor. Of course you will find better hear as a you level up because you will gain access to better gear and be able to wear better gear.

You need to take all the mods out and compare the 2 items. They should be the same with no mods. You bt chest has 2 mods the lvl 9 item doesn't and that's what's causing the bt item to be better.

Right now your comparing apples & oranges. Take all mods out to compare.

Okay I made a screen shot to show you as requested:

 

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7920/orangearmorcomparison.jpg

 

They're both Medium Armor - and both have the same Armor mod - or, as you can see, the exact same Armor Rating. Yet one has clearly inferior armor to the other.

 

So...it really really renders the entire concept of orange armor useless - as regardless of the fact that you can fully mod them - they will STILL get out geared and out leveled.

Of course that the panther jacket has a lower base armor score because you haven't inserted any mod in it. So remove mods from your second armor and it ll have the exact same base armor value than the panther jacket.

You haven't understood how it works according to you screen.

 

Of course that the panther jacket has a lower base armor rating because you haven't put the exact same mods in it than on your second armor. Remove mods from your second armor and it ll have the exact same base armor value than the 1st.

I am having the same problem as the OP, and what you suggest doesn't fix it. It's only occuring with armor, weapons seem fine.

I am having the same problem as the OP, and what you suggest doesn't fix it. It's only occuring with armor, weapons seem fine.

Tho other jacket is a lower level jacket dude, not to mention the other two mods which also increases your armor. Of course you will find better hear as a you level up because you will gain access to better gear and be able to wear better gear.

lol I don't think you're understanding what's happening here. The other two mods do not affect armor. They simply affect stats. That's....uh, quite obviousl. Only the ARMOR MOD affects ARMOR RATING - which is, as the character sheet says, damage reduction. The fact that they are different levels, and thus have different ARMOR on them further proves my point that the concept behind Orange items is pointless - as the intention is to have them "forever" if you like the look of the item - as you'd be a fool to have an inferior item just because of the look.

You need to take all the mods out and compare the 2 items. They should be the same with no mods. You bt chest has 2 mods the lvl 9 item doesn't and that's what's causing the bt item to be better.

 

Right now your comparing apples & oranges. Take all mods out to compare.

As I said to the other person the other two mods do not matter - I took them out to humor you and here you will see. Besides, reread the OP....I haven't been talking about stats at all.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/6230/orangearmorcomparisonop.jpg

Same armor type. Same armor rating. Different Armor. Now you have two screen shots with the same armor piece with and without mods (even though I knew they didn't affect armor), and you have the same armor.

See what I'm getting at?

there will be a difference, and we do get how it works.

But do you see what I'm saying?

Basically, with the way the system currently is, Orange items are the EXACT same as blue or purple items - we just have to work twice as hard to have them (i.e. finding comparable mods to have competitive stats)....just for the look of the armor piece?

That's ********.

So I was curious and performed and experiment on two of my chest pieces. Ican confirn that the OP is correct. The base armor does not change.

In fact removing the armoring completely does does alter the armor walue. I am guessing this may be a bug. (I hope)