Ip/skills at 220

[afrofixaren]

Hey guys
My engi is soon turning 220 (218 atm) and I started to plan a bit for my setup with alphas in. Might also add that he is solitus and it won't be my main pvm char

What I cant decide is

1, skip mm? Do you max it? Isotos has some crazy recs for a 10sec duration and recs for top ac buff is quite high as well

2, are you able to self all other top nanos (with some hud , utils swap) even w/o eye alpha? Or even w/o right hand ( was planning to use a regular implant here with aimed shot )

3. Hp? More of a pvp question I guess but how much should I aim for? The nm I have seen seems to have quite low because of nm coon. At the moment I use full cc and ofab back, planned to get jathos body for more hp but I am only at 13k self right now even with hp perks

I have played around some with skill emulator but it's always good to ask as well
Do you have any ip left at all at 220?

Thanks
Afro

[-Stage-]

1) I favour maxing MM. iSoTOS lasts 7 minutes, not 10 seconds. The 10 second duration shown in the description refers to the base nano which the engineer casts and which casts the actual 7 minute buff into the NCU of both pets simultaneously. While there's always more things to spend IP on, truthfully engineers can easily max all critical skills and have plenty left over for optional extras at 220. I have chem maxed, for example, and enough other tradeskills to fabricate everything significant in the game (can't do a few oddball QL300 jobe clusters), despite maxed burst/AS and nearly maxed MR. There's no one correct way to allocate your IP in the end, but you won't be so short that you have to skimp on MM. I have to do one easy swap to recast iSoTOS.

2) Yes. Takes some swapping if you like to wear a bunch of HP gear in combat. I use an eye implant, but a r-hand symb. Swapping would still let me use all top nanos with a r-hand implant but it'd be a significantly greater hassle. I have 4 nanoskill items in that I swap out after casting all my nanos at the start of a BS round, and after that swap in infused ANE to refresh stuff mid-round.

3) 13k is far too low, since that will allow you to be very easily and frequently alphad. I haven't smashed together the numbers and my knowledge of modern alphas is in all fairness well out of date, but I think you will have severe issues below around 16k HP. The setup in my sig has me at about 17.5k HP. YMMV. I recommend trying different combinations of HP and AR gear until you find your sweet spot, where you stop dying too quickly to have an opportunity to react, but aren't so covered in meaty HP gear that you're unable to properly hurt people. I suggest experimenting in the 16k+ region.

You won't exactly have IP left at 220 since there's always *something* fun to spend it on; if nothing else, higher first aid will clean you out eventually, but there's a lot of options to play with even after maxing everything critical.

[Xyphos]

1, skip mm? Do you max it? Isotos has some crazy recs for a 10sec duration and recs for top ac buff is quite high as well

don't skip MM. but don't max it either. raise it just enough to cast ISOTOS in buffing gear.
for simplicity of item-swapping, consider jsut using the research HUD in addition to the skill libraries, this means more IP spent as you're skimping on the swap items, but you won't be swapping out full armor sets doing so.
it's really a matter of playstyle. the 5K ACs is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. the 3.5k ACs will be more then enough to push you and most team mates over the 10k AC mark. after 10k you'll hardly notice any difference. 5k ACs is just a matter of epeen preference imho. (and a huge IP sink)

2, are you able to self all other top nanos (with some hud , utils swap) even w/o eye alpha? Or even w/o right hand ( was planning to use a regular implant here with aimed shot )

yes. as a grenade engi in crit gear, I cast everything with an EOE in, as long as I put in a few HUD items.

3. Hp? More of a pvp question I guess but how much should I aim for? The nm I have seen seems to have quite low because of nm coon. At the moment I use full cc and ofab back, planned to get jathos body for more hp but I am only at 13k self right now even with hp perks

for PVP, the more, the better. your engi should be able to play the "outlasting" game against most non-healing professions, and nuke away the nanopool of the healing professions (but it takes time to do that)
13k as a NM is more then I got on my NM. currently sits at 9.8K in full combat gear. when I used to PVP, I had 22k HP with doc buffs.
then again, mine is no longer setup for PVP use and nanogimp isnt' the best breed option for it. however, the NM coon is great to have. pop that for instant 5k while bio coon is still being activated. this works very well against a single trox shade who will attempt to alpha-perk you. as soon as you find a shade heading in your direction, pop both coons, drop a snare mine, run backwards and keep your distance while the pets go at it. the downside is the 5 minute lock, but biocoon regens before then.

Do you have any ip left at all at 220?

about 5.6K ip. I dumped the remainder into evades and preception for dredloch HUD, but only because I'm grenade and had the IP to spare.

[candle-645]

1. ISotOS is definitely MUST-HAVE, and even with 7.5 min duration I still prefer to cast it w/o any swapping, so have just enough MM to cast it in "normal" equip.

2. Yes. Only +nanoskills items I wear normally are ql300 NCU and enhanced Kegern's chest. Almost all symbs (except arms and r-wrist) still betas or normal ql260-280 ones. For 5K AC, Formula 22 and pet reflect I just swap HUD3 to LE nanoskills device, everything else casted in normal equip.

3. As NM engi I usually run around with ~15.5k HP selfed (armor setup similar to yours - CC, kegerns chest, ofab back and DB bracer), swapping left arul bracer to alby and 2-3 items in HUD/Utils raise it up to ~18k if/when necessary.

For some top-TSing need to swap 7 armor and 3 HUD items, B&E just enougth to clean ql200 implants. But still haven't IP to max dodge - at ~80% now and duck - at ~50%.

[Manicmouse]

FYI for the numerous trox engies out there all you need is the nano research hud and a 300 NCU to cast all nanos. My setup is betas, DD arms, EOE and alpha right hand.

Simples!

[-Stage-]

FYI for the numerous trox engies out there all you need is the nano research hud and a 300 NCU to cast all nanos.

Good lord, that sounds absolutely horrible. I will continue to steer people away from choosing that path, as I remember what a gargantuan pain in the arse it was to have to swap VE for research device. Kudos for making the effort o.O

[Darkwillow]

Get fgrid.

[Manicmouse]

Good lord, that sounds absolutely horrible. I will continue to steer people away from choosing that path, as I remember what a gargantuan pain in the arse it was to have to swap VE for research device. Kudos for making the effort o.O

I am swapping a VTS for the research device which is instant, and dread sniper's friend for NCU which is instant. I only have to do it every 7 mins!

Right click nano research hud to equip.
Right click NCU to equip.
Cast ISOSOTOSOS.
Right click VTS to equip.
Manually move Sniper's friend to equip (or it goes to HUD3).

6 clicks!

How is that absolutely horrible? o.O

[Mostadio]

Most use VE for the AS buff, which has 10 second or so swap time. That's what's painful.

[L17f]

im 220/30/70 trox eng, in crit/hp setup, not finish alphas symbs, (need some org with contracts)
to cast pets(all buffs) just need swap Infused Ancient Nano Enhancer and LE hud3.
to cast ISOTOS just swap LE hud3.

eng trox are sexi
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4949/scrn0251.png

[dritst]

Sorry but mine is sexier!

http://imageshack.us/f/189/scrn0003.png/

[Manicmouse]

Gauntlet armour and sexy shouldn't be in the same sentence! You look like a sci fi xmas tree.

Yeah I can imagine the VE swap is a pain with it being 10s. Not an issue for MA engie

[dritst]

http://auno.org/ao/equip.php?saveid=174791

1) AC buff i use the 3500 one , i got 1900 ish MM maxed (swaping hud 2/util alb+db3 to cast isotos)

2) I need swap hud 3+hud2+util 1 and 3 to cast reflect,F22 and team bloker. Otherwise hud 2+ util 1 and 3 are enough for all other buff

3) 19K,2 hp not that bad to survive most alpha.

[Notcrattey]

as soon as you find a shade heading in your direction, pop both coons, drop a snare mine, run backwards and keep your distance while the pets go at it. the downside is the 5 minute lock, but biocoon regens before then.

Don't follow this advice. When Up against a shade be conservative with your absorbs, coon should be enough to soak up the PM part.

Now if the shade goes and kites you to wait for PM to pop back up, just simply snare mine or root graft, if this doesn't work or your root grafts are down wait for the shade to double take back to you, pop the 5k and BR and you should be fine for another alpha.

[Louderer789]

"Pop both coons"? Err correct me if I'm wrong but absorbs don't stack?

[afrofixaren]

Tnx for all The replies 219 now so are starting to get closer to put alphas on,
The setup I am aiming for is kinda similar to yours drist, thanks for sharing it! Atm I think amep+ onehander is the weapons I will use and maybe try to use a yata for more range

How high as do you guys reach? Troaler needs so much to cap recharge but it might be easier then I think.
I assume none of you have ip in nano pool either?

/Afro

[Mostadio]

Tnx for all The replies 219 now so are starting to get closer to put alphas on,
The setup I am aiming for is kinda similar to yours drist, thanks for sharing it! Atm I think amep+ onehander is the weapons I will use and maybe try to use a yata for more range

How high as do you guys reach? Troaler needs so much to cap recharge but it might be easier then I think.
I assume none of you have ip in nano pool either?

/Afro

1650-1700 is where you're going to cap out unless you drop serious HP for supple bits. Capping AS on troaler is no problem. Artillery crep chest or sniper's friend help getting the last few points. IP in nanopool is only useful for those totw stims... and I don't think you need any for those at 220.

[-Stage-]

"Pop both coons"? Err correct me if I'm wrong but absorbs don't stack?

I assume that he required the NM absorb to stay alive during the bio cocoon execution time.

[dritst]

Tnx for all The replies 219 now so are starting to get closer to put alphas on,
The setup I am aiming for is kinda similar to yours drist, thanks for sharing it! Atm I think amep+ onehander is the weapons I will use and maybe try to use a yata for more range

How high as do you guys reach? Troaler needs so much to cap recharge but it might be easier then I think.
I assume none of you have ip in nano pool either?

/Afro

1650+ AS skill without droping HP ( you need hp to absorb alpha or perform well in 2 vs you alone ) and as mostadio said you dont really need ip in nano pool.
About the amep+oh, you will get higher AR but the range of Oh is a pain really (people will kite you all the time in open area pvp). And i find you dont really perk to kill people (except doc/agent/engi ofc) if you can manage your pet, and press O all 11 sec :>.

[afrofixaren]

yea i used onehander on my fixer when i played him, tho with Yatamutchy Movement Predictor -Xl1 i can get some extra range w/o sacrificing that much imo

i just played around with skillemu and damn i find ip tight!

i guess that maxing out shotgun really hurts