What affect does wrong level gear have?

I've heard that wearing the wrong level gear lowers the stats...

But does anyone know by how much?

In-game it shows all the stats as green, which means it's an improvement, but that's actually wrong if the item is much higher/lower than recommend.

Does 1-2 levels make a difference or is it more for when it's 5+ levels then it has an impact.

Its a hidden stat reduction, amount depends how far off the optimal rank you are, i dont think anyone knows exact amounts yet, but you should try to be +/- 5 ranks i beleave. Also the gear gets damaged alot quicker if you are off the optimal rank again +/- 5 ranks should be enough

Hi Armok,

Yes, even 1 or 2 ranks below your Optimal Rank will have a negative effect. When you hit "Optimal Rank" that's when you get full benefits of the stats of the item you equip.

I don't know the exact %, but I tested out a few items, and was surprised that even just 1 Rank below Optimal Rank, and I was getting less of a boost than my previous equipment that I was already ~9 Ranks above.

I think that's one of the flaws of the current system: It allows a lot of freedom (anyone can wear anything (except the newest items added recently under Yoshida-san that "requires" a class), but at the same time, many may not even realize that they're taking a sizable Penalty Hit in terms of Stats.

Then again, everything is quite easy at the moment, so you can have people wearing Crafting Gear and still go out and do Battle Guildleves and get by just fine.

If you pick up a new piece of gear you can equip the old and new pieces and see how the attack/accuracy/defense etc numbers change in the character stats section. Most of the time lower level gear will outperform but as you get closer to the optimal rank eventually the newer gear may start to give you the same or slightly better stats, then you should be able to wear it without issue.

Delsus is sort of right.

When a piece of gear has an "Optimal Rank," you can wear it below that rank. However, if you're even one level below the Optimal Rank, you will not get the full benefit of the stats. (So it's not +/- 5 levels. It's just one level.)

If you're rank 25, and you equip a weapon that's got an Optimal Rank of 26, then you'll get significantly less benefit from the stats. That's true for all tools and weapons. If you equip them even one level below the Optimal Rank, your stats will be reduced by a fairly significant amount. So it's usually better to equip a lower ranked tool/weapon than one that's above you.

On the other hand, the reduction in stats for armor/gear scales. So the reduction is much less severe. You might be better off wearing gear that's got an Optimal Rank higher than you.

Also, as Delsus said, anytime you equip gear/weapons/tools that have an Optimal Rank above your job rank, your gear gets damaged a lot more quickly.

In addition, gear has certain job affinities. So some gear says that it's made for (for example) Gladiator, Pugilist, Marauder, Goldsmith, and Blacksmith. If you put on the gear while performing a different job (say, as a Conjurer or Weaver), you will get a significant reduction in stats. The amount of reduction seems to vary, but it's probably about 1/3rd.

In the future, you might consider asking these type of questions in the New Player Help forum.

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Originally Posted by VydarrTyr

Delsus is sort of right.

When a piece of gear has an "Optimal Rank," you can wear it below that rank. However, if you're even one level below the Optimal Rank, you will not get the full benefit of the stats. (So it's not +/- 5 levels. It's just one level.)

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I have never done testing on it, i just try to keep withing +/- 5 ranks of optimal if possible, but if you have done testing then your prolly right lol

It's a hidden stat reduction, but unless you're using a parser to get your exact numbers, to be honest the reduction will be hardly noticeable. Damage calculation, like enmity calculation, is so overly complicated the only stats that really matter are VIT for max HP and INT for max MP.

SE is simplifying enmity calculation. Let's hope they simplify damage calculation in the same way so stats begin to make sense.

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Originally Posted by Eekiki

It's a hidden stat reduction, but unless you're using a parser to get your exact numbers, to be honest the reduction will be hardly noticeable. Damage calculation, like enmity calculation, is so overly complicated the only stats that really matter are VIT for max HP and INT for max MP.

SE is simplifying enmity calculation. Let's hope they simplify damage calculation in the same way so stats begin to make sense.

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not really true, its generally pretty noticeable, especially the accuracy drops, and even the attack.

You can check by comparing how the stats change when you look in your actual attributes, not the the red and green or whatever colored stuff, but the other window that shows accuracy defense etc. if its a stat that isnt on that list, your guess is as good as anyones, but in general your are always better off using something optimal, unless its really outdated, the +5 is usually good, but sometimes there are big stat jumps with one level.

wearing anything non favored is almost always crappy.

Don't think too much over it. Everything related to stats will change soon anyway... hopefully ~.~

Lets not overlook the fact that if your using a piece of gear below optimal rank, it might as well be manufactured with pressboard and plastic screws.

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Originally Posted by Physic

not really true, its generally pretty noticeable, especially the accuracy drops, and even the attack.

You can check by comparing how the stats change when you look in your actual attributes, not the the red and green or whatever colored stuff, but the other window that shows accuracy defense etc. if its a stat that isnt on that list, your guess is as good as anyones, but in general your are always better off using something optimal, unless its really outdated, the +5 is usually good, but sometimes there are big stat jumps with one level.

wearing anything non favored is almost always crappy.

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Then what to the stars do on the +1 equipment, huh? HUH?! Bet you can't answer that, Mr. Smarty Smart Smart!

+5% per star (minimum 1)
Not sure though if the penalty from not meeting the reqs is after or before that. Anyone checked if the penalty is at least linear?

Tools and Weapons generally suffer the biggest reduction in stats when not using optimal rank. Accuracy goes down, Attack is generally the same as last weapon you had on, Crit Hit goes down.

Gear and Jewelry tend to not have a severe stat reduction. And the Defense, Resillance, Evasion etc etc. goes down while the base stats Str Vit Craftmanship does not suffer that much of a hit.

IMO tools and weapons you want optimal rank, gear is really wish washy~

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Its a hidden stat reduction, amount depends how far off the optimal rank you are, i dont think anyone knows exact amounts yet, but you should try to be +/- 5 ranks i beleave. Also the gear gets damaged alot quicker if you are off the optimal rank again +/- 5 ranks should be enough

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its not hidden,
for example
first equip the right sword check then check your stats,
then equip a rank in-appropriate sword and check the stats.
The rank appropriate equipment will always give you higher stats. And rank inappropriate equipment degrades faster.

Gear penalty penalizes all the gear's stats and bonuses. Assuming you meet the optimal rank and it isn't damaged, a factor of 60% applies. However, they round up (Strength+2 will still be +2 for that reason). HQ items get a boost of 5%, 10%, and 15% for +1, +2, and +3. It applies only to the stats that have stars. This formula is applied before the rank penalty above.

So, I'd like to make a note here... I've used a pair of bronze sollerets (optimal rank of 27), for ranks 1-20 of gladiator, and ranks 1-10 of marauder. I've compared it with several other feet equipment, and it has given the most defense, magic defense, and resilience verses anything else I've tried. On top of that, it has yet to get below 80% durability throughout all those ranks.

Anyone have a good explanation for this? I've compared stat differences of main hand equipment at different ranks, and those differences are like night and day. For example, a tin alembic (rank 17) gave the exact same stat increases as a brass alembic (rank 12) as an alchemist of rank 16.

EDIT: I forgot to take into account my play for today. So that's 1-21 ranks of gladiator, and the durability is down to 77%.

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Originally Posted by RabidSquirrel

So, I'd like to make a note here... I've used a pair of bronze sollerets (optimal rank of 27), for ranks 1-20 of gladiator, and ranks 1-10 of marauder. I've compared it with several other feet equipment, and it has given the most defense, magic defense, and resilience verses anything else I've tried. On top of that, it has yet to get below 80% durability throughout all those ranks.

Anyone have a good explanation for this? I've compared stat differences of main hand equipment at different ranks, and those differences are like night and day. For example, a tin alembic (rank 17) gave the exact same stat increases as a brass alembic (rank 12) as an alchemist of rank 16.

EDIT: I forgot to take into account my play for today. So that's 1-21 ranks of gladiator, and the durability is down to 77%.

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Because gears are of different type. A pair of leather shoes can not give as much defense as a pair of chain mail boots, correct? Gear penalty will usually make your gear stat down to the rank you are now or a little bit lower. For example:

If a pair of shoes r10 = 20 def, r20 = 30 def
If a pair of solleret r10 (IF) = 24 def, r20 = 36 def

Say you are wearing r20 solleret at r10, even after penalty your def will be 21 and it will still be better than a pair of shoes r10.

However, defense is NOT the only thing that matters. There are evasion, there are optimal class (A Mage wearing sollerets will always receive less def than wearing shoes for instant) and there are bonuses.

General rule in term of DEF is:
Cuirass > Metal Wargarb > Leather Wargarb > Cloth Wargarb > Leather Attire > Cloth Attire.

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Originally Posted by MariyaShidou

Because gears are of different type. A pair of leather shoes can not give as much defense as a pair of chain mail boots, correct? Gear penalty will usually make your gear stat down to the rank you are now or a little bit lower. For example:

If a pair of shoes r10 = 20 def, r20 = 30 def
If a pair of solleret r10 (IF) = 24 def, r20 = 36 def

Say you are wearing r20 solleret at r10, even after penalty your def will be 21 and it will still be better than a pair of shoes r10.

However, defense is NOT the only thing that matters. There are evasion, there are optimal class (A Mage wearing sollerets will always receive less def than wearing shoes for instant) and there are bonuses.

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Defense has served me the best so far as a gladiator. I did just take down 4 rank 28s at once as a rank 20 gladiator today for the leve Securing Horizon's Edge on a 2 or 3 star difficulty. I don't have much reference as to if that's good or not, but it was one hell of a fight.

But anyways, it still doesn't explain the lack of durabilty wear. I know stuff is suppose to wear down faster when it's much higher rank than you, but these sollerets seem to be doing pretty well still. Durabilities like my shield fall like a rock, though.

Well Metallic armours have higher durability base (for example shoes around 15,000 then solleret around 19,000).

Plus fighting durability loss is different from synthing or harvesting. Usually you lose much less clothes durability (unless you get hit more often) when you're fighting but your weapon (Main and Off - Shield) wear much faster, whereas synthing and harvesting has clothes and tools wear on similar scale.

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Its a hidden stat reduction, amount depends how far off the optimal rank you are, i dont think anyone knows exact amounts yet, but you should try to be +/- 5 ranks i beleave. Also the gear gets damaged alot quicker if you are off the optimal rank again +/- 5 ranks should be enough

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No... the stat reduction is completely visible on your screen

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Originally Posted by Coldfire

+5% per star (minimum 1)
Not sure though if the penalty from not meeting the reqs is after or before that. Anyone checked if the penalty is at least linear?

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Kind of... +1 is indeed a minimum of 1.... But +2 and +3 are also a minimum of 1, not 2 and 3 respectively

SO if a piece of gear gives, say 5 defense.... then the +1, +2 and +3 will ALL give 6 defense because the numbers would be
+1 = 5.25 = 6
+2 = 5.50 = 6
+3 = 5.75 = 6

recommended class penalty is -40% on all stats, so the 26 craftsmanship of the Dodore Doublet is only 16 to a class that is not recommended

Optimal rank penalty is tricky

You have Primary stats
Attack, Magic Attack, Defense, Magic Defense, Craftsmanship, magic craftsmanship and Gathering
These suffer a -20% penalty for being 1 rank under optimal rank. and then suffer another 2% of the starting value for each rank below that
Its not exact though but thats the rough number

So being 5 ranks under a piece that gives 100 attack would only get you:
72 attack, again, none if it is exact but its all very close
you lose 20% for being one rank under
22% for being two ranks under
24% for being three ranks under
26% for being four ranks under
28% for being five ranks under

The Secondary Stats are:
Accuracy, Magic accuracy, Evasion, resilience, control, perception, output

These suffer a 10% drop for being 1 rank under, and another 1% of the total for each additional rank