Poor results when farming low level items

[Aydie]

So when I'm out gathering an item that is a lot lower level than my gathering ability, it takes such along time to gain HQ items. I understand that by upping the success rate for HQ's gathered would ruin the message board, however if an ability like...

Cost: 100 GP Level: 50
Increases the chance to gain HQ items by 40%, binds items gained to you, items
made with bound ingredients are also bound to you.

This would alleviate the teidiousness of farming an item that should be easier for you to get.

[MicahZerrshia]

Get gear with more perception, that gets you better results at obtaining HQ items, your gathering stat is just the chance of obtaining the item while gathering.

At level 35 (I think) you get an ability to raise chance of HQ by 30%.

[Aydie]

correct, I'm well aware of how perception works. My frustration stems from Logging at level 50 for flax with perception 313, I notice no increase in the speed at which I gain HQ items from when I was a lower level gathering them. The only difference is the two abilities I can now use that either increase yeild (500gp), which takes a huge amount of time to build back up, or Leaf Turn II (300gp) and so random I hate using it. I thought it was a good idea to level a gathering job first to make it easier to gain HQ items before leveling a DoH, I'm really not seeing this.

[MicahZerrshia]

Must be an rng thing, I feel I get much more HQ than I did at lower levels. I seem to get about 1/3 hq now compared to the 1/10 I got while leveling or at low levels. Even had times where I was at about 50/50.

If all else fails, use your retainers, they seem to have a much better chance at getting hq than nq sometimes.

Bound hq mats would also make gathering less lucrative, which they would not do. Also why we have no items we craft/gather that are U/U. They keep things open for a reason, even if that reason is sometimes silly.

[Tint]

Must be an rng thing, I feel I get much more HQ than I did at lower levels. I seem to get about 1/3 hq now compared to the 1/10 I got while leveling or at low levels. Even had times where I was at about 50/50.

the HQ chance is capped at 15%.

[Frizze]

While the number might be capped at 15%, it can feel like you get more whether you do or not. And some of the higher level traits really do tilt thing a little more in your favor(your tree whisperers) when RNG does side with you. Plus being at a higher level means you probly have more GP to spend on abilities(not to mention more access to cordials to bring things along faster). And i dont know about you, but i never had enough perception to cap the HQ percentage on at level items while growing my gatherers, so it feels like an even bigger gap then it probly was.

[Silverbane]

I think one reason low-level gathering isn't easier to do at high levels is to preserve an opportunity for up-and-coming gatherers to make a few gil as they level. You are looking for an HQ low-level item? Try gathering high level items, like silkworm cocoons or darksteel ore, selling them, and then buying the NQ flax you want with the gil you made. It may be a lot faster.

[Ksenia]

the HQ chance is capped at 15%.

This. I devote a lot of time to gathering and the average is 5:1 for me, using the HQ buff on the +1 node (5 tic node)
Be it cotton, Iron, Flax, you will get 5 stacks of NQ for every stack of HQ.