I try to add some augments to my orange gear which already has a free socket and I get an error message.

Either the augment is low or high.

What does MK-1 MK-2 ... MK-9 mean?

What can I do at modication stations?

Is there an augment guide anywhere?

Mk-1 to 9 refer to the level of augment slot and you need a corresponding level augment to go in the slot.

At Mod stations you can attach the Augment Kit to add an Augment slot to your gear.

If you need a guide, might I suggest Dulfy? She usually has guides for all things.

If you are below lvl 55, augmentation should not be a priority for you, since the improvement in stats is so minor that you outlevel your augments very quick.

If you got too much cash to burn however and found the orange set you want to keep, then put a MK9 slot already now and add an augment appropriate to you current lvl into it and only upgrade the augments but not the slot anymore.

I try to add some augments to my orange gear which already has a free socket and I get an error message.

Either the augment is low or high.

 

What does MK-1 MK-2 ... MK-9 mean?

What can I do at modication stations?

 

Is there an augment guide anywhere?

Mk = Mark (version)

1 is lowest,9 is highest

Mod stations allow you to install an augment kit on any piece of gear, implant,weapon, relic and earpiece. That's all they're used for.

If you don't know what version of augment slot a certain piece of gear has,go to the mod station, put that piece into the window, and you will be able to deduce what version it is by the first augment level when you open up the dropdown window.

You can install any level Argument Kit 1-9 in just about most items at the mod stations (Certainly all Custom and purple and blue items anyway some greens aswell ) regardless of the item level (There is no restriction at the mod station station in terms of having to go from 1 to 9 in order).

The Restriction then comes with the actual arguments you buy or craft to install in the corresponding slots that you have created with the kits items. You need to be certain level to install the actual arguments that give you the stat upgrades. The arguments tooltip will tell what level Kit they need and what level character you need to be. If you are able to craft your own kits you also need a reach a certain craft level to create the better kits.

Like above has said at lower levels it simply is not worth the money and effort in crafting items then Reverse engineering or buying the components to make the kits then the cost of installing the slots using the kits then the cost of buying the actual lower level arguments.

The small stat increases you get with lower level arguments are not worth the time or cost put in. I would never install arguments on non moddable gear anyway as you will be replacing that green/blue gear as you level up anyway. Only install arguments on Custom, Purple or adaptive armour you know you want to keep that you upgrade with mods as you level.

Once you reach level 50- 55 that is when the MK7-9 kits and corresponding arguments are worth the cost and effort and can really bump up your stats alot. Note you need to have advanced craft training (craft level 400-450)to learn the MK-7 to 9 schematics.

While leveling up until the 50-55 levels your best just saving your money for gear upgrades or once you have all moddable gear you like use commendations for mods upgrades as you level and save as much cash as you can for the high level arguments once you get there.

You do not need a crafting skill to install a augmentation kit and place a augment into it. You can just fetch it fron GTN and install.

Wonderful, thank you very much!

What's the point of MK kit 1-8 if you can just go and buy and use 9?

lower pricing. It costs 1,000 credits to install an MK-1. It costs 36,000 credits to install an MK-9. Granted if you are planning to use the same piece of gear throughout the leveling process and end-game, then installing an MK-9 is less expensive in the long run. But if while leveling you change out gear, then installing a level appropriate augment slot for a level appropriate augment is a viable option.

Furthermore, say for example you have a (or several) grade 9 augment(s) but you do not have nor want to buy augments as you level. It makes more sense to install the minimum required slot(s) to fit the augments rather than investing in MK-9 until MK-9 is necessary.

Ok, The augment system is a bit daunting. Ill explain it best i can.

Augments have a rank. MK-1 through MK-9. with MK-1 being lowest tier, and MK-9 being highest tier. To get Augment Kits, you have to Reverse Engineer things from varius Crafting Skills, E.G Synthweaving. Depending on the level of the gear you Reverse Engineer you get different tiers of Augment Kit Parts. Augment Kits are made by different crafting skills, E.G Armormech, Armstech, Synthweaving. Then you have to mount the Augment Kit to the gear item. with MK-1 costing 1000 Credits to mount, and MK-9 costing 36k (or 36,000 for those not knowing in the typical money system) to mount. Then you can mount an Augment to the gear item.

To Craft Augments, first you need to find Augment Schematics. They are typicaly found in Slicing Missions. For Blue grade or higher Augments you must use Slicing to obtain matereals for those Augments. Along with your crafting skill's things. E.G for Artifice Augments, you must use matereals from Archeology, Treasure Hunting, AND Slicing. And your probably asking yourself, I dont have 4 crafting skill slots, how can i craft high-tier augments when i dont have Slicing and i dont want to lose my other skills. Well, just make an Alt that has slicing and use it to farm mats. Back to the topic. All you have to do at that point is gather the mats and craft the augment. Then you can mount the augment to the gear item, granted your Augment Slot is of equal or higher tier to your Augment.

What, exactly, does an augmentation slot do for my weapon?

You haven't been reading, have you? The rest of the thread answers this question.

Thread TL;DR: an augmentation slot, IN ANY PIECE OF GEAR, allows you to install an augment of the appropriate level or lower (i.e. a Mk-9 would allow you to install a level 55 augment or any other augment).

Yes i have been reading, but the basic information is missing.

Ok, let me rephrase:

What is an augmentation, what does it do? I know how to create an augmentation, and I know how to add an augmentation slot, but I don't know what it does for the equipment besides just sitting there. I was told, incorrectly, that it opened a new slot for mods (mod, armor, hilt, crystal, barrel...), but I can't put anything in it.

The kit adds a slot. In this slot you can only put augmentations. Augmentations are an item modification. Item modifications add stats to your items.

You got Orange armor with all empty slots, it has no stats. You put an armoring, a mod, an enhancement in it and suddenly it has stats. Hopefully you picked the appropriate modifications for your level and class. If you add an augmentation slot and put an augmentation in the slot, your orange armor will have extra stats, above and beyond previously.

It may not matter as you level up; you may use green armor pieces that you use for 5 levels and then discard. But once you hit level 55, you can't go higher. Once you have the purple level 55 armor, the only way to make it better is to put the max purple mods in it, give it a kit mk-9 and put the maximum augment in it, and otherwise you're using stimpacks and adrenals and activating your 2 relics like there's no tomorrow just to get an edge for a few seconds.

The augmentation makes your armor better. It wasn't available when the game was initially released. They added it later during one of the expansions, to add one more slot and one more type of modification that you can put in your armor. Initially there were 3 slots, now there can be 4. But each slot still takes only 1 kind of modification. You can't double up.

Yes i have been reading, but the basic information is missing.

Ok, let me rephrase:

What is an augmentation, what does it do? I know how to create an augmentation, and I know how to add an augmentation slot, but I don't know what it does for the equipment besides just sitting there. I was told, incorrectly, that it opened a new slot for mods (mod, armor, hilt, crystal, barrel...), but I can't put anything in it.

This: http://www.torhead.com/item/6VAnKTy/advanced-accuracy-augment-26 is an example of an augment. Which is what you put into the slot that you made by using an augmentation kit (Like this one: http://www.torhead.com/item/4DBFsue/augmentation-kit-mk-9)

They are two separate items, and people sometimes refer to them in ways that make it easy to conflate them, particularly since you only learn how to make augmentation kits from crew skill trainers while leveling a skill up; augment recipes need to be learned from schematics from slicing missions.

Yes i have been reading, but the basic information is missing.

Ok, let me rephrase:

What is an augmentation, what does it do? I know how to create an augmentation, and I know how to add an augmentation slot, but I don't know what it does for the equipment besides just sitting there. I was told, incorrectly, that it opened a new slot for mods (mod, armor, hilt, crystal, barrel...), but I can't put anything in it.

An Augment is a type of item modification; similar to armoring, mod, enhancement, barrel, and hilt.

An Augment increases a piece of gear's overall stats.

There are three crafting crew skills that can create augments: Synthweaving, Armormech, and Armstech

There are 14 different types of augments one for each ability stat:

- Synthweaving makes:

• Might augments that increase Strength and Endurance
  
• Resolve augments that increase Willpower and Endurance
  
• Alacrity augments that increase Alacrity rating and Endurance
  
• Redoubt augments that increase Defense Rating and Power Rating
  
• Presence augments that increase Presence and Endurance
  

- Armormech makes:

• Reflex augments that increase Aim and Endurance
  
• Skill augments that increase Cunning and Endurance
  
• Shield augments that increase Shield Rating and Power Rating
  
• Absorb augments that increase Absorb Rating and Power Rating
  

- Armstech makes:

• Overkill augments that increase Power Rating and Endurance
  
• Critical augments that increase Critical Rating and Endurance
  
• Surge augments that increase Surge Rating and Endurance
  
• Accuracy augments that increase Accuracy Rating and Endurance
  
• Fortitude augments that increase Endurance and Power Rating
  

NOTE: in all cases the first stat noted is higher than the second

Adding an Augmentation Slot, allows you to install AUGMENTS into that slot. Just like all other item modification slots, the augmentation slot is specific to augments; one cannot put a barrel into an armoring slot or vice versa, so one cannot put an enhancement (or any other non-augment) into an augment slot.

Lastly, just like all other item modifications, different grades/levels of augments exist. Each has a level requirement. The higher the level requirement the higher the stats of the augment. The difference between augments and all other item modifications is that the Augmentation slots are also "level appropriate:" An MK-1 augment slot can only accept MK-1 augments (IIRC: level 9 to 17). An MK-2 augment slot can accept MK-2 and MK-1 augments; MK-3 slots can accept MK-3, MK-2, and MK-1; and up on the line up to MK-9.

ok, thanks! that makes more sense.

I've got a purple chestpiece and I have all of its "slots" full, even the die slot. I crafted an Augmentation Kit MK1. I added this to the item, and now it just sits there looking pretty, no substance.

So now, I think I understand that I must find, create, or purchase an "augment" to fit this 5th slot.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Since you used an MK-1 augmentation kit to add this slot, you'll need one of the lower level augments to fill the slot.

Lastly, just like all other item modifications, different grades/levels of augments exist. Each has a level requirement. The higher the level requirement the higher the stats of the augment. The difference between augments and all other item modifications is that the Augmentation slots are also "level appropriate:" An MK-1 augment slot can only accept MK-1 augments (IIRC: level 9 to 17). An MK-2 augment slot can accept MK-2 and MK-1 augments; MK-3 slots can accept MK-3, MK-2, and MK-1; and up on the line up to MK-9.

I think MK-1 is only to level 16 though. But I could be misremembering.

I think MK-1 is only to level 16 though.

In a way, MK-1 is only good to level 15, and Rank 5 augments. Rank 6 augments require level 17 and a MK-2 slot.

For the most part, each "Mark" level is good for 4 "Ranks" of augments, and each "Rank" of augment has a level requirement 2 levels higher than the previous rank. Though the progression breaks down at the highest (and lowest) ranks/levels.

So anyway, here's how it goes:

Augments Rank 2 to Rank 5 require level 9 to 15 and go in a MK-1 (or higher) slot. I don't believe there are any Rank 1 augments, but I suppose there might be.

Ranks 6 to 9 require level 17 to 23 and require a MK-2 slot

Ranks 10 to 13, level 25 to 31, MK-3.

Ranks 14 to 17, level 33 to 39, MK-4.

Ranks 18 to 21, level 41 to 47, MK-5.

Rank 22 augments, level 49, are the only ones that require a MK-6 slot.

Rank 23 augments, level 51, are likewise the only ones that require a MK-7 slot.

AFAIK, there are no Rank 24 or 25 augments.

Rank 26 augments, level 53, are the only ones that require a MK-8 slot.

There are no Rank 27 augments, either.

Rank 28 augments, level 55, are the highest rank augments currently available, and require a MK-9 slot.