Maxing out your retainers changes anything?

In the last weeks, I was spirit bonding a lot and have improved my retainers so they are now almost maxed out in Gathering and Perception (although the ventures only ask for Gathering). They don't use accesoires from 2.3 but have Forager items and overmelded Materia in each single slot available.

Since this, I took them out for 18 hour ventures, quick ventures and also single items, hoping they return either more HQ or more rare items. But so far, zero difference.

SE leaves us completely in the Dark with their mechanics yet again. I got the feeling that adding Perception or more Gathering than needed (highest 18 hour venture needs) does not do anything. Anybody else with well equipped retainers out there who can share their experience?

Nobody with similiar/different experiences?

I have maxed out retainers since it came out , there is no difference in yield of Rare/HQ mats. I will say i probably get 1 rare item off my bot/miner every 2 weeks of 18hr ventures thats the only good thing for now. There is no sure way to increase the way u get rare/HQ mats its all RNG.

I've stopped doing the LvIV 18 hour ventures as all I get is total junk. My BTN retainer is pretty maxed out and yet all I get are a few crawler cocoons or some mistletoe.

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Originally Posted by ish007xx

I have maxed out retainers since it came out , there is no difference in yield of Rare/HQ mats. I will say i probably get 1 rare item off my bot/miner every 2 weeks of 18hr ventures thats the only good thing for now. There is no sure way to increase the way u get rare/HQ mats its all RNG.

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Thanks for sharing. My samples so far are to small to be sure about it beeing RNG or a fact. I have written down what I got for a period of 4 weeks before I max melded them and am writing down what I got since they were max melded two weeks ago. Funny is, the only character I did not upgrade (Tank combat class) has brought back almost twice as much HQ in 2 weeks than in the 4 weeks before lol. But the rest is quite similiar. Right now I tend to think that raising Gathering higher than what you need for the 18 hour venture is meaningless and adding Perception is the same. So I do not need to think about getting the new accesoires from 2.3 until they introduce new tiers.

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Originally Posted by Flender

I've stopped doing the LvIV 18 hour ventures as all I get is total junk. My BTN retainer is pretty maxed out and yet all I get are a few crawler cocoons or some mistletoe.

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I only do them under the week when I am working and can't use them anyways over the day. The mats they bring back are most of the time crap but it's at least a bit GIL for free.

nah dont even waste your time or gil on getting new gathering stuff from 2.3 for retainers lol its not worth it. Its best u get it for yourself to use for 2.4 cause new stuff will be coming. It will be nice for retainers to bring back like a stack of 50-60 HQ unspoiled nodes mats instead of 4HQ for the 18hr ventures lol thats the only thing i would like to see changed really

I have 3 level 50 retainers. Sometimes, all I get are crappy fish (no pun intended), coerul (sp?) meat, or some crap like that. But they have also brought back Blood Spattered Mark logs, Magicked Brooms, rare outdoor furnishings. indoor furnishings, and crafting/gathering materia. The item level 60+ doesn't really return anything better than the iLVL 50+,so I don't get too worried about that just yet. I think that's probably got to do with percentages. We all know how those work. Mining a node at 98% and get 1/2 miss/hit ratio. Worse yet, spend 300 gathering to increase HQ and still only get 1 of 4.

I wouldn't accuse SE of "leaving us in the dark again" because a lot of things are very very clear in this game...but.

I will say, before I reset my retainer's level, I had a lancer that got to about 15 before resetting....and I think around level 5-10 with no gear and a weathered spear.. she brought be back a Moogle Sword. ;) Just to throw that into the fray.

I have a personal theory that "retainer RNG" is all relative in relation to Desynthesis (as of 2.38) then HQ mats and so forth.

But having only ever had two retainers: one a miner, one a botanist, basically doing the same as OP, I only ever receive the same. It seems to also work in favour of those with more retainers over more classes.

I just put my retainers on shard duty most of the time tbh.