Quote Originally Posted by Kiroh View Post
Does equipment matter? I'm not entirely sure about this one actually. The venture system may just be a shiny way to display your old gear, or gear may actually have some effect on the results. The system hasn't really been out long enough for people to test this though
According to the patch notes, equipment should have an effect. For the battle classes it looks at the average iLevel. For the gatherers it takes into consideration the Gathering and Perception

Retainers can be equipped with gear befitting their assigned class and level, which will in turn affect items procured on their venture. Items will be procured in increased quantities by increasing either average item level for Disciples of War and Magic, or gathering rating for Disciples of the Land. Moreover, for retainers set as Disciples of the Land, increasing perception will result in a higher likelihood of obtaining high-quality items.