Loving this game, just a few questions
I've been playing SK for a couple weeks now off and on (I work a lot) and I'm really enjoying it. I love how it actually takes some thought and skill to play the lower depths effectively, and the art direction is really refreshing compared what you see in most MMOs these days.
I just have a few questions based on my experience so far.
I'm currently building toward a Grey Feather set. In fact have all the 4 star pieces and and now just saving up crowns and energy so I can craft the 5 star stuff. I decided on that particular set by reading the forums (nice thread comparing the grey feather stuff to the divine set which I was also considering) and by researching armor sets on the wiki.
Something I've noticed is that there only seems to be maybe 5 or 6 good sets of 5 star armor. There are a certain few that get heavily discussed, and seem to be popular for a reason, and then there are a ton that just don't seem to be on par in terms of utility or defense. I don't understand why anyone would want to use the Chaos set for anything but costume armor, for example. Is it just me?
While we're talking about equipment; are trinkets useful at all? I've been considering rounding out my defenses via trinket slots, but I came across a thread that seems to indicate that status resist trinkets don't actually do anything. Is the same true with defense trinkets? I'd rather not waste the energy and tokens if my investment isn't going to actually get me anything.
I don't understand why anyone would want to use the Chaos set for anything but costume armor, for example.
Or the Dragon Scale set. It's preposterously worthless. I don't really mind, though, since wearing it as a costume is fun because very few people have it.
I figured that might be the case for the Chaos set. Still seems like there are a bunch that are simply overshadowed but other options though.
I was looking at some piercing and shadow defense from trinkets actually. I'm not having a ton of trouble with these damage types, I'd just like to not be punished quite as hard when I do make a mistake. The heart pendants look nice but I really don't get hit that often. Is the extra health better than the damage reduction?
That's another good example. Why would you use it when there are other obviously better choices? I'm hoping there are plans to balance the current stuff out.
I'd rather go for extra health, it just makes me feel safer when I have more health. Probably because you can actually see the heath and ou can't see damage resistance.

Imo defense trinkets are better than the heart trinkets.
The argument is a little fuzzy since we don't have good models for the damage dealt by enemies and what-not yet. But the essential idea to me is that the defense trinket will save you more hearts than the heart trinket will give you.
As well, sometimes I notice that when I have high defense against a certain damage type that I survive attacks at one bar left a lot. I've been at 2-4 bars, don't remember exactly, and been hit by a Trojan's swing and been only brought down to one bar where it would normally take off more than 4 bars at higher hp.
But we'll need to wait til we know more about the game mechanics before making numerically based decisions like this.
Defense trinkets are more effective than health in T3. In T1-2, health trinkets are better. Status resist trinkets aren't worth buying.
It sounds like you're near, if not in, T3. That means you want to save up 100 grim/forge/life sparks to buy the defense trinkets.
Also, yes, a lot of gear in the game is useless if you're planning on min/maxing. Some gear is over-specialized to the point where it's sub-par in every stratum but the one its designed for.
The testing I've seen on trinkets indicates that at least some of them are broken, I have yet to see one work. The soaking wetstone made absolutely no difference to fire damage in any stratum.
Yea, im not seeing any difference with 2 jelly pierce defence or the shadow one i have (tho i still wear a shadow and a pierce, 100 token strength)
but i think when trinket slots expire i wont even bother to renew them, just pointless until they fix, then to also test vog and see that a full vog set showing high fire resistance is really [crap] compared to a medium UV skolver? really? sigh.... the game needs to show some damn numbers cause the bars arent just deceiving or kinda incorrectly, they seem to not even be remotely correct, heck i think they steer people in the wrong direction more often than not...
try out the choas gear, i bet youll realize you take the same fire damage (and length of burning time) as if you wore neutral fire resist gear, even with trinkets! rofl (even tho im not positive, i bet it happens)
heres a post to read, talks about fire resist and some tests that some people did, none of it is my information so i take no credit for any of it, just mindblowing how redicilous the game makes stuff out to be when its full of doodie
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/10522
but if you find any new information, id love read about it, PLEASE plaster that sheit EVERYWHERE if you actually get some definate proof, you would think OOO would want to let us know a little, rather than havin people who would rather not bother with the 300CE/month if trinkets were worth more than NOTHING -- so far ive bought 4 trinkets and seen nothing off any of them...sigh...
those who like a challenge, and if you're going for trinkets, I'd just look for a heart pendant if I were you, though I think my royal jelly band does offer some piercing defense.