I posted this on the Artisan board and on Game Guides but I wanted all of you on my favorite server to have the opportunity to get a look at it. Enjoy.
First of all, credit where credit is due. The ranged and melee list I have included is taken from Blood632's post in the following thread: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=artisan&message.id=34625
The additional information (grenades and mines) is from the Allakhazam.com's Advanced Powerup Guide of Making, Expermenting and Using by Koaree Eawa at the following link:
All the information is correct to my knowledge
And now, on with the show:
When selecting materials to use for powerups you need six (6) minerals and four (4) chemicals. Any minerals and chemicals will do as they are not specified any further than that. I have been using a polymer and a colat iron. Overall Quality (OQ) is the only stat that is taken into account for all weapon powerups. Keep in mind that for a Master Artisan it is NOT NECESSARY TO USE 1000 OQ MATERIALS. I believe that anything 990 or higher OQ will yield perfect results. (mine have been a 998 metal and a 994 chemical). When experimenting with these materials, all experimentation boxes are filled and one "amazing" result will prevent you from using all experimentation points as you CANNOT experiment beyond 99%.
i was using the 1k OQ Vati and 966OQ Clefifeg...averages out to 980oq...was hitting 32.86/16.17/8.25 pretty regularly on my stats
Powerup stats (all types) are randomly generated. The basic powerup, when first assembled, contains a PRIMARY stat (if you look at the list below, it is the first set of names such as Ported, Smoothed, Taper-Bored, etc). By experimenting, additional SECONDARY stats can be added (these are the second set of names such as of Alignment, of Concentration, of Dampening etc.)
Let's look a ranged barrel powerup for example (although the crafting process of all the powerup types is the same)
I select a barrel powerup from my weapon, droid, generic crafting tool while standing next to my weapon, droid, generic crafting station. The barrel is assembled and randomly assigned a name and corresponding stat modifier (if you get less than a "great" assembly at this point, toss it). In this case I have a made a PORTED BARREL (which gives me small modifier to the HEALTH cost of using a special with that weapon). As a Master Artisan, I now have 10 experimentation points with which to modify the powerup. The key here is to experiment ONE POINT AT A TIME. After the first or second experimentation point, I have now added a second stat modifier to the barrel. The primary HEALTH stat has increased to around 12% and the secondary comes in around 6-7%. In this case, MAXIMUM DAMAGE is the secondary stat. So the name of barrel changes to PORTED BARREL OF CONCENTRATION. As I continue to experiment with the powerup, the primary and secondary stats will increase to a MAXIMUM stat modifier of 33.16% PRIMARY/16.33% SECONDARY. So the best you can get from a two stat powerup is 33.16%/16.33%. This changed during the one day experment change the devs pulled so 33.5%/16.5% powerups DO EXIST.
Now here is gets tricky...
By experimenting each point one at a time, you have a change of adding a third, fourth, or even fifth stat modifier to the powerup. Be advised, ONLY SECONDARY STATS will ever be added, NEVER PRIMARY STATS. So in the case of the barrel, you COULD have a powerup that modifies the Health (primary)/Ideal Range (secondary)/Max Damage (secondary)/Mind (secondary). But it is impossible, with a barrel powerup, to modify the Health (primary)/Point Blank Penalty (primary)/Max Damage (secondary).
Also keep in mind, when adding additional stat modifiers, the experimentation gets a little strange. For example, using the barrel again, I have experimented up until I have a Health Primary of approx. 15-17% and a Max Damage Secondary of about 7%. I experiment another point and I get a third stat modifier of Ideal Range. From this point, any additional experimentation will INCREASE THE THIRD STAT to a maximum of 16.33% and the original secondary stat will stay a the 7.xx% it was at when the third stat came on board. Now my observation has be this. If additional stats come on, with the original secondary stat BELOW 10%, the third stat will increase to the maximum. If the third stat came of board with the secondary stat HIGHER than 10% the TERTIARY AND SECONDARY stat increase but NEITHER one will reach the 16.33% limit. So you end up with something like a 33.16%/12.5%/10.33% powerup. This may be preferred due the higher increase of the third stat, but it is rare and extremely hard to plan.
With fourth and fifth stat modifiers, I have not been able to determine the patterns there, so if you get one just keep experimenting away and hope for the best. One last thing to remember here, the name for a powerup is always designated by the Primary and Secondary stats even in a three stat powerup, so you not see a Ported Barrel of Concentration of Condensing. It would only be a Ported Barrel of Concentration. (this doesn't matter if you follow my tips later)
after 2 experimentation pts you'll have a "chance" at getting a 2nd stat (its like 95% of getting...but you can miss getting it) then again when the secondary stat hits 7-8.25% (roughly at the 50% experimented point). At this point 1 of 3 things will happen...1) no third stats pops...(10% chance) 2) a third stat pops...but the secondary continues to increase *not* the third...3) a third stat pops and becomes the new "secondary". And if you're paying attention you see the suffix on the power-up disappear for a pt or 2 around these times. with 4th and 5th stat mods...you get another chance at roughly 75% experimented point to try for another...but the chances are around 10-20% of it happening...in fact the *only* reliable way to get the 4th and 5th stats at this point is to get a "great assembly" followed by a "failed assembly"...for some reason when you fail it starts stacking the mods on. **shrug**
Now to answer some of the more common questions I get:
1. Why would I want to increase my Point Blank Penalty/Special Move Health Cost/etc?
a. You are NEVER INCREASING the penalty by using a powerup. The "+" percentage of a powerup is how much REDUCTION you get towards the HAM cost or range penalty of using that weapon. So a +"Point Blank Penalty" is actually that amount that the powerup reduces the penalty, but a +"Ideal Attack Bonus" is that amount in the increase of the bonus. THERE IS NO PENALTY WHAT SO EVER IN USING A POWERUP.
actually not true...and fairly easy to prove...make a generic melee power-up...there is a preffix for them that adds the mod "power-up special move action cost". This is radically different from the normal "special move health cost" this one *will* add to the action cost also there is a difference between "ideal range(IR)" and "ideal range attack mod(IR Mod)"...IR supposedly changes the actual ideal range for the weapon(havent actually seen this working...since ive only done it with melee weapons...heard rumor that all the range enhances where defunct now), the other, IR Mod, modifies the attack modifier...or the to-hit mod. (had some nice muzzles that were IR mod/MR mod/PB mod that i used to help me hit the tk/rifle templates)
2. Won't it make my weapon decay faster?
a. There is no increase in the decay rate of using a powerup on a weapon. I'll say it again THERE IS NO PENALTY WHAT SO EVER IN USING A POWERUP. Now I know someone is going to agrue this point saying that "if I use a speed powerup, my weapon will fire faster and hence, decay faster". No duh!
heh...get a master pistoleer...easy way to do this...have him fire at a mob no specials 100 times and track the decay, then repeat using a powerup, and if you want since most ppl spam specials...do 2 more tests with no power-up and one with where every shot is done with a special...powerups do decay the weapon a little faster...but some weapons like FWG5's decay faster than others. (was master pistoleer/artisan4442 when i did this...and yes i just shot myself in the foot.)
3. Can you make me a Max Damage/Min Damage Melee Powerup?
a. Nope. As you can see from the list, both Min and Max Damage a secondary stats. Now it may be possible to get, say, a Health/Max/Min but then you are looking at about a 16.33% Max and 8.XX% Min modifier.
4. Why can't you make crates of 25 like my chef/medic/WS/etc.?
a. You got me. In the Devs infinite wisdom, they decided to make powerups in crates of 10. Go figure.
this one sucks...cause now i have nearly 1500 crates of power-ups left from when i used the sales to get merchant
Tips for selling powerups:
1. KNOW YOUR MARKET
a. The best way to make a business out of powerups is know what your customers want. So what would a PVP'ing Novice Rifleman want? Well, considering that he has not made the speed cap (so his rifle is so slow) and the nature of PVP mitigation (check other threads for info on this one) they might want a Hair-Triggered Grip of Lightening (33.16% Speed/16.33% Min Damage). Or perhaps the high Mind costs of the rifle is hurting them, try a Powered Scope of Targeting (33.16% Mind/16.33% Speed). Get to know the different combatant classes, talk to rifleman and the pikeman, or better yet, try them yourself. I've made quite a pretty penny, selling 33.16% Speed/16.33% Health Grips to Carbineers for use with the EE3 Carbine exclusively (unlike most carbines which have high Action costs, the EE3 has a high Health). A tip for those of you just starting out - Max Damage/Min Damage Muzzles are ALWAYS popular.
2. KEEP YOUR VENDOR WELL STOCKED
a. Nothing turns off a potential buyer more than a vendor with two or three items on it. When I do a new schematic, I usually run off 100 powerups (10 crates) and watch how they sell over the next week. They sold out in 2 days? I make 20 crates on the next run. They sat there for a month? I run 2 or 3 crates next time.
3. MAKE YOUR ITEMS IDENTIFIABLE
a. You can leave the generic name when making the schematic, but who is going to remember what a Hot-Wired Coupler of Compensation does? And with 600 crates on the vendor, do you really think they are going to check the details of every item? For simplicity, I use the following format for my powerups (Type) (%) (Stat)/(%) (Stat) (Name) Example: "RANGED - 33.16% Speed/16.33% Min Dmg Grip" or "MELEE - 33.16% Health/16.33% Max Dmg" Not as colorful as the real name, but the customer knows what it does and what it's used for right off the bat. The first time you get a client trying to sell back unidentified melee powerups because he thought they would work on his Tusken Rifle, you'll see why I do this.
this is almost more for you than the customer lol, and ya...i got around to renaming them cause i knew what they were but my friends dont
4. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
a. As with all selling, get your vendor in a high traffic area. You could place your vendor in a remote corner of Dantooine, but who is gonna find it?
a. Get your vendor stocked then get the word out there. Try posting on the trade forum or spam-shouting in the starport of Coronet or Theed. (have of few cases of your more popular items on you when you do that, you can sell quite a bit to people passing through)
That's pretty much all I can tell you about powerups so get out there and start making the Galaxy a better place, and make some credits along the way.
I have color coded the stats on the below list. Section types are in RED Primary stats are in GREEN and Secondary stats are in Blue
Ported (Special Move Health Cost)
Smoothed (Point Blank Penalty)
Taper-Bored (Wound Chance)
of Alignment (Ideal Attack Bonus)
of Concentration (Maximum Damage)
of Condensing (Ideal Range)
of Dampening (Special Move Mind Cost)
Hot-Wired (Maximum Damage)
Quick-Charge (Attack Speed)
Short-Circuited (Minimum Damage)
Tweaked (Special Move Action Cost)
of Compensation (Special Move Mind Cost)
of Overpowering (Ideal Range)
of Searing (Point Blank Penalty)
Ergonomic (Ideal Range)
Fitted (Ideal Attack Bonus)
Hair-Triggered (Attack Speed)
Lightening (Special Move Mind Cost)
of Recoil-Deadening (Special Move Health Cost)
of Aiming (Minimum Damage)
of Reckoning (Wound Chance)
of Steadying (Max Range Penalty)
Muffled (Special Move Mind Cost)
Polished (Wound Chance)
Scattering (Max Range Penalty) shouldnt this be ideal range mod?
Tuned (Maximum Damage)
of Flaring (Point Blank Penalty)
of Focusing (Max Range Penalty)
of Braking (Special Move Health Cost)
of Sighting (Minimum Damage)
Calibrated (Max Range Penalty)
Powered (Special Move Mind Cost)
Precision (Minimum Damage)
Ranged (Ideal Attack Bonus)
of Targetting (Attack Speed)
of Pin-Pointing (Wound Chance)
of Tracking (Special Move Action Cost)
Anti-Jitter (Max Range Penalty)
Balanced (Ideal Range)
Reactive (Special Move Health Cost)
of Dissipation (Max Damage)
of Accuracy (Ideal Attack Bonus)
of Cushioning (Special Move Action Cost)
of Loading (Attack Speed)
Balancing (Special Move Health Cost)
Barbing (Point Blank Penalty)
Compensating (Special Move Mind Cost)
Extending (Ideal Range)
of Control-Enhancement (Attack Speed)
of Accuracy (Ideal Attack Bonus)
of Precision (Minimum Damage)
of Wounding (Wound Chance)
of ??????? (Max Damage)
Mine Explosives Kit (complexity 14)
Concussion (Damage Radius)
Clustered (Maximum Damage)
Directional (Minimum Damage)
of Bomblet-Generating (Wound Chance)
THROWN WEAPON POWERUP
Grenade Explosives Kit (complexity 14)
Compress (Damage Radius)
Ionizing (Minimum Damage)
of Shearing (Wound Chance)
Grenade Wiring Kit (complexity 9)
Short-Fuse (Attack Speed)
Core-Alignment (Maximum Damage)
of Shrapnel (Wound Chance