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What's with all the white pips?

AuthorMessage
Archon
Feb 07, 2011
3175
My poor Storm wizard is getting absolutely creamed in Azteca. Not because of her terrible health or defensive stats, but because of all the white pips!

Yes, Storm has the lowest PP percentage (66) of any school, even in the best gear available for her level (a combination of WW and Avalon crafted gear). But a level 82 wizard with 7 white pips? That's just ridiculous.

She has never had a problem with this previously~ the odds of Sestiva getting a gold pip are still more than half, and yet all she gets are white pips (meaning that she can't kill because she can't cast~ a 7-white-pip tempest isn't going to do much, even with +85% to damage).

Did I miss some sort of important update that decreased her chances of getting a gold pip? Or did Storm just get shafted again?

-v.
archmage

Adherent
Jul 03, 2010
2634
Dr Von on Sep 16, 2013 wrote:
My poor Storm wizard is getting absolutely creamed in Azteca. Not because of her terrible health or defensive stats, but because of all the white pips!

Yes, Storm has the lowest PP percentage (66) of any school, even in the best gear available for her level (a combination of WW and Avalon crafted gear). But a level 82 wizard with 7 white pips? That's just ridiculous.

She has never had a problem with this previously~ the odds of Sestiva getting a gold pip are still more than half, and yet all she gets are white pips (meaning that she can't kill because she can't cast~ a 7-white-pip tempest isn't going to do much, even with +85% to damage).

Did I miss some sort of important update that decreased her chances of getting a gold pip? Or did Storm just get shafted again?

-v.
archmage
My Fire is suffering from the same problem, since I am questing with another I am reduced to Meteors as my main mob spell.

Other things have been odd also, like our Life wizards fizzling a lot. In AZ our Death and Balance usually fizzle pretty much every first attempt and the Storm hardly ever did, I started to just buff the storm to get though things.

Explorer
Apr 01, 2011
98
I've had the same issue with my storm and balance wizards. Their power pip chances are at least 65%, but for the past month or two I've mostly gotten regular pips. My friend has a power pip chance of 57% and she rarely gets a white pip! This is especially annoying when you're trying to use Judgement or Tempest .

@Northlite My balance Christina fizzles more than all of my wizards combined .

Rebecca Bright Level 90
Miranda Shadowflame Level 90
Sabrina Emeraldblossom Level 86
Victoria Roseblood Level 82
Diana Moonflower Level 79
Christina Goldenheart Level 78

Champion
Aug 20, 2010
403
Dr Von on Sep 16, 2013 wrote:
My poor Storm wizard is getting absolutely creamed in Azteca. Not because of her terrible health or defensive stats, but because of all the white pips!

Yes, Storm has the lowest PP percentage (66) of any school, even in the best gear available for her level (a combination of WW and Avalon crafted gear). But a level 82 wizard with 7 white pips? That's just ridiculous.

She has never had a problem with this previously~ the odds of Sestiva getting a gold pip are still more than half, and yet all she gets are white pips (meaning that she can't kill because she can't cast~ a 7-white-pip tempest isn't going to do much, even with +85% to damage).

Did I miss some sort of important update that decreased her chances of getting a gold pip? Or did Storm just get shafted again?

-v.
archmage
I sympathize Von.

I have about 85% power-pip chance, usually it doesn't fail me in pvp (I can't remember my PPs when I was in Azteca). I know that frustration of having 5+ white pips in a row though. It doesn't happen often, well not for me, but that "rare" moment could mean losing a match in pvp or a boss/mob battle. Any way, though you can obviously expect to get some white pips with the pip chance storm has, that is just frustrating and unneeded. When KI released a new world and I start questing, and this happens to me, I would not be happy either.

Delver
Mar 10, 2009
236
I have been noticing the same thing. I thought it was me or that I somehow had something equipped wrong. Yea it's white pip city for me too. Was doing the guy before Zeus (forgot his name) and had to un equip everything above shark or I would get killed before I could build enough pips, and still was getting killed because I wasn't getting enough pips to hit and heal and I have an amulet for my second school. Something is very wrong.

Mastermind
Jun 02, 2013
311
Ugh, my Fire Wizard (42) is in DS and has already played a duel without gaining a single power pip. My percentage is 33%, I'm not sure if that's considered low or not at my level, but it sure is annoying.

Squire
Feb 29, 2012
502
Funny, at around 77% pip chance my Storm rarely gets white pips. I guess it's all about luck.

Scarlet Nightdreamer, level 90 Diviner

Champion
Dec 03, 2012
485
I suffer from that sometimes, I have an 80% chance or so, and I get more white pips than you think. I know it is hard to make it through AZ, but KI, I hope you are listening because you need to fix this. Please do.

Molly level 79 Balance

Delver
Nov 05, 2011
249
Northlite on Sep 16, 2013 wrote:
My Fire is suffering from the same problem, since I am questing with another I am reduced to Meteors as my main mob spell.

Other things have been odd also, like our Life wizards fizzling a lot. In AZ our Death and Balance usually fizzle pretty much every first attempt and the Storm hardly ever did, I started to just buff the storm to get though things.
I had 105% and I fizzled!

Archon
Feb 07, 2011
3175
nullThat's because, according to KI math, there is no such thing as 100%~ it only registers 99.999999%, meaning that there is always a chance you will fizzle.

My Storm wiz has the highest accuracy of all my wizards, for a total of 101%. I have yet to see her fizzle, but that's probably because my mob strategy is blade, blade, blade, tempest, victory dance.



@Northlite~ accuracy is terrible for Balance; it had gotten so bad in Azteca that she would fizzle consecutively, sometimes 2-3 times in a row (which should never happen at 85% base). Even a newbie Storm wizard doesn't fizzle THAT much...

Unlike the elementals, Balance doesn't get gear boosts to accuracy without sacrificing their other stats. So I got mine a pet with Sharp Shot to fix the problem.

-

My Life wizard also had issues getting power pips, but that was at level 40: a few tweaks to her gear, and problem solved. But you can't do that with Storm, when they already have the best gear that's available to them... I'm thinking I may need to resort to a pet with pips or stealing an athame/something from another wizard.

Actually, speaking of gear:

Sestiva Stormblade (L82 diviner):

skyscream hood
skyscream cape
eloquent sandals (av crafted)
greenwarden's peaceful staff
bear's claw of storm
shango's stormblade amulet
deep water rising ring
pet: therizinosaurus with pain giver, storm sniper, and may cast fairy.

damage +85%
resist 26% universal
accuracy +31%
critical 156
block 173 universal
power pips 66%
incoming heal +7%

what could i swap out for better power pips?

Squire
Feb 29, 2012
502
Dr Von on Sep 17, 2013 wrote:
nullThat's because, according to KI math, there is no such thing as 100%~ it only registers 99.999999%, meaning that there is always a chance you will fizzle.

My Storm wiz has the highest accuracy of all my wizards, for a total of 101%. I have yet to see her fizzle, but that's probably because my mob strategy is blade, blade, blade, tempest, victory dance.



@Northlite~ accuracy is terrible for Balance; it had gotten so bad in Azteca that she would fizzle consecutively, sometimes 2-3 times in a row (which should never happen at 85% base). Even a newbie Storm wizard doesn't fizzle THAT much...

Unlike the elementals, Balance doesn't get gear boosts to accuracy without sacrificing their other stats. So I got mine a pet with Sharp Shot to fix the problem.

-

My Life wizard also had issues getting power pips, but that was at level 40: a few tweaks to her gear, and problem solved. But you can't do that with Storm, when they already have the best gear that's available to them... I'm thinking I may need to resort to a pet with pips or stealing an athame/something from another wizard.

Actually, speaking of gear:

Sestiva Stormblade (L82 diviner):

skyscream hood
skyscream cape
eloquent sandals (av crafted)
greenwarden's peaceful staff
bear's claw of storm
shango's stormblade amulet
deep water rising ring
pet: therizinosaurus with pain giver, storm sniper, and may cast fairy.

damage +85%
resist 26% universal
accuracy +31%
critical 156
block 173 universal
power pips 66%
incoming heal +7%

what could i swap out for better power pips?
I use the Lexicon Blade instead of the Bear's Claw of Storm. However, it does take some farming for, from what I've heard. (I got lucky, it dropped on my first try.) As for pip chance, you won't get much more than you already do. Lexicon blade gives 15, a grand total of one percent more than the Bear's Claw of Storm.

That's the only change I can suggest and I'm not entirely sure swapping out for the Lexicon Blade would be the best choice.

Scarlet Nightdreamer, level 90 Diviner

Survivor
Oct 29, 2011
43
Wizards, it is very simple to overcome this obstacle. The trick is to get gear that give power pips. It is very important that your jewelry (anthems and rings) also gives power pips chance. Some of the best gear for power pips is the Waterworks gear and crafted gear from the leprechaun in the Wild and Sobaka in Baobab Market.

88 James Titanfountain

Delver
Mar 10, 2009
236
Wizmonster3001 on Sep 17, 2013 wrote:
Wizards, it is very simple to overcome this obstacle. The trick is to get gear that give power pips. It is very important that your jewelry (anthems and rings) also gives power pips chance. Some of the best gear for power pips is the Waterworks gear and crafted gear from the leprechaun in the Wild and Sobaka in Baobab Market.

88 James Titanfountain
I am well aware that my gear boosts my power pip chance. What I am talking about is that I have not changed my gear but my pips have. If I had done some monkeying around with my gear, then yea a change in my pips would be expected, but I haven't changed anything but something in the game dynamic has.

Archon
Feb 07, 2011
3175
Wizmonster3001 on Sep 17, 2013 wrote:
Wizards, it is very simple to overcome this obstacle. The trick is to get gear that give power pips. It is very important that your jewelry (anthems and rings) also gives power pips chance. Some of the best gear for power pips is the Waterworks gear and crafted gear from the leprechaun in the Wild and Sobaka in Baobab Market.

88 James Titanfountain
I have 2 promethean wizards: I know how it works. And, if you read the original post at all, you would have seen that my wizard is already in her full WW set and Avalon crafted gear... I even posted it for everyone to see what I have equipped. The problem is, how to solve the issue when you already have the best gear available.

I appreciate the help. But, next time, please read the entire post before responding.

-v.

90 and
82
63
40 and
23

Squire
May 10, 2013
524
Dr Von on Sep 16, 2013 wrote:
My poor Storm wizard is getting absolutely creamed in Azteca. Not because of her terrible health or defensive stats, but because of all the white pips!

Yes, Storm has the lowest PP percentage (66) of any school, even in the best gear available for her level (a combination of WW and Avalon crafted gear). But a level 82 wizard with 7 white pips? That's just ridiculous.

She has never had a problem with this previously~ the odds of Sestiva getting a gold pip are still more than half, and yet all she gets are white pips (meaning that she can't kill because she can't cast~ a 7-white-pip tempest isn't going to do much, even with +85% to damage).

Did I miss some sort of important update that decreased her chances of getting a gold pip? Or did Storm just get shafted again?

-v.
archmage
No offense but you need way better gear for your storm wiz. I have 69 power pip percentage and my highest is (finally!) level 50. It always gets power pips.

Archon
Feb 07, 2011
3175
PlayHard101 on Sep 19, 2013 wrote:
No offense but you need way better gear for your storm wiz. I have 69 power pip percentage and my highest is (finally!) level 50. It always gets power pips.
Since you're new, I'll forgive you for not knowing that Waterworks/Avalon crafted gear *is* the best gear available at level 80.

My power-pip percentage has not changed since level 60. Something in the game dynamic has, as evidenced by the fact that I am not the only one having this problem.

Once you hit level 60, a power-pip increase means that everything else takes a huge hit... Therefore, I'm curious to see what your other stats look like: you may have high power pips, but I bet one or more of your other major stats (damage, resist, etc.) is suffering.


Explorer
Apr 01, 2011
98
PlayHard101 on Sep 19, 2013 wrote:
No offense but you need way better gear for your storm wiz. I have 69 power pip percentage and my highest is (finally!) level 50. It always gets power pips.
The "better" gear (robes, hats, and boots) for high level wizards give little to no power pip chance. As for athames and rings, the amount of power pips they give decreases as your level gets higher. Von's storm is in Azteca, and many wizards there have low power pip chance since they use the crafted gear (the good gear doesn't give any chance). It's hard to raise one stat without lowering another stat that's needed to complete the world. (Of course, Prometheans don't really have low power pip chance since the awesome level 90 Aquila gear came out )

Having high power pip chances doesn't do a thing for me though; my life is at 83% and she gets a lot of white pips

Survivor
Nov 23, 2011
32
PlayHard101 on Sep 19, 2013 wrote:
No offense but you need way better gear for your storm wiz. I have 69 power pip percentage and my highest is (finally!) level 50. It always gets power pips.
No offense, but ww is the best gear for everyone up to 90(tartarus) or the crafted boots(or level 80 crown shop boots) and robe at level 84.

Defender
Sep 09, 2012
171
We conjurers are suffering as well.
I was once in a hard battle, and my orthrus was in my deck, but 7 rounds plus healing takes a lot of time. So much for my Frost Hound with his higher power pip chance.
Emma Emeraldsword lvl 59

Adherent
Jul 03, 2010
2634
Rebecca Bright on Sep 20, 2013 wrote:
The "better" gear (robes, hats, and boots) for high level wizards give little to no power pip chance. As for athames and rings, the amount of power pips they give decreases as your level gets higher. Von's storm is in Azteca, and many wizards there have low power pip chance since they use the crafted gear (the good gear doesn't give any chance). It's hard to raise one stat without lowering another stat that's needed to complete the world. (Of course, Prometheans don't really have low power pip chance since the awesome level 90 Aquila gear came out )

Having high power pip chances doesn't do a thing for me though; my life is at 83% and she gets a lot of white pips
By level 58 our life has:

Crafted Helmet from WT lvl 56
Crafted Robe lvl 56
Rapture boots lvl 58
Wand with pip
Claw of Spirt Wolf 15% lvl 58 dropped or other 15% one
Majestic Signat 21% lvl 56

Critical block is low but gets us though ZA, we farm for Wyd-Oak Staff in Avalon.

Since Life's only AOE spell is 8 pips it is very difficult game play not to be able to get all power ones.

Survivor
Jun 09, 2013
30
I know! It happens to my storm. One of the many challenges to the game is that there is no perfect gear. Meaning, you need to sacrifice resist, pips, and block just for critical and damage. But that's what makes the game fun, trying to make your wizard the best one in your school. I am proud to say that my balance has a power pip chance of 101% (thought I don't use judgement much anymore, I think sabertooth looks cooler even if it does less damage), but my storm only has a chance of 63% which is why I don't like to use tempest often, I like sirens more. Lol.

Promethean Sorcerer

Transcendent Diviner