When to start modding/upgrading gear?

[Neofit]

Hi,

 

I am level 11 and have started seeing level 11-12 weapons drop. So I suppose that items are roughly equal to the player level, and should stop at 30 max?

 

Right now I have a few mods stored, I've used one to make a robot-killer weapon, but otherwise, since I am currently not having any problems during fights (normal difficulty), and am trying not to use them. How would I know that this time it's on? On level 30 weapons?

 

Also, how far can you upgrade weapons? Can you technically bring one from level 1 to 30 (if that is the max)? So if in the high 20s upgrades cost as much as they do for level 1s, then at 50-200 bits, one can start at like 27?

[Ommamar]

There are two ways to upgrade weapons: tinkering and modding them.  Since mods are so plentiful I recommend using them to get a plasma, electric, and corrosive effect on separate weapons as you level up.  It is not really necessary as you can certainly blast through with a plasma weapon for the entire game if you choose to but I liked that the different damage types worked better depending on enemies faced. I also liked to put scopes on as many weapons as I can even if I am not running a sniper build.  As for armor I liked the backpack, silver tongue, and then a mod for what ever weapon type I was using. 

As to taking you weapon from 1 to 30 this is possible but really expensive, this can be lessened by upping the science skill but it still gets very expensive.  My suggestion is to bracket it using a ten level system.  So tinker with a low level weapon until you are level 10 then find one at least level 11 then tinker that up to 20 then 21 up to 35 which I believe is the highest you can currently take equipment too.

One thing to keep in mind is that your companion weapons can be tinkered with too so if you want you can make all 3 damage types available in your party.  Raising there damage will also make fights easier as well.

[Staehrminator]

Not very high level at all myself yet, but I'll apply some wisdom from Fallout 2:

Using whatever few drugs, dinky old guns, sticks of dynamite and lockpick skills you have at your disposal in order to kill Metzger as soon as you meet him feels better than coming back 15 levels later and wasting his entire crew with a pull of the trigger on your Vindicator.

What I'm saying is, if you splurge on building an uberpowered shock revolver that lets you wipe out all the robots in the Geothermal plant, that's gonna be a better use of those mods than having them gather dust and eventually selling them.

Sure that revolver might become obsolete soon enough, but then you can store it in the bin in your cabin, or give it to a new party member and explain to them how ol' Zappy here helped you get your ship off the ground. You will eventually be able to buy all the mods you want, but you can't buy those sort of experiences.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Staehrminator

[Ommamar]

Mods are so prevalent as loot I never saw the need to buy any. 

I do agree that fighting mobs at or slightly above the level you find them is more rewarding then coming back when you are way overpowered to handle them.