Exact implant QL

[aindrei]

How do you make sure that you end up with the exact QL of a custom build implant?

I need a QL80 implant. Do I go blitz a QL80 implant, clean it and then find someone lower nanoprogramming that can build the implant and hope the QL will not increase?

Or I blitz a QL75 implant and find someone higher level to build it? How much will the QL increase?

[Dagget]

No way to know -precisely-. An experienced tradeskiller will have a good idea of how much an imp will bump when putting in clusters but there is no way to know for certain. If I want an end result QL84 imp, I go find Ql 81,82,83's and put clusters into each until I hit the mark...and even then they sometimes have a nasty habit of 'hopping' past the target QL as you move to the next higher QL starting implant.

[Obtena]

From my experience:

any implants QL 30 and below don't bump in QL when you put in the clusters, regardless of your Nano prgramming.

Any implants QL 50 to 124 bump 1 QL every time you put a cluster in it (that's with about 1K NP, though I know it can also happen with much less NP)

Any implants 125+ go up 2 QL levels every time you put in a cluster. I have tested this up to QL 150 implants only so perhaps the higher ones got 3 QL levels, I don't know.

[Nuadha]

From my experience:

Starting with a lvl 90 imp and adding 3 clusters, I ended up with a lvl 93 imp.
This is as a lvl 165 MP with approximately 750+ Nano Programming.

[Dagget]

I get variations simply by putting the same imp together with and without the HQ medlab +160 buff. Also some variations depending on the particular cluster going into a slot.

[Misterbear]

Faded seem to have more of an effect on the bump of ql. i've seen faded clusters bump ql by 2. i've never seen a bright bump more than 1 ql. Shiny don't seem to have any effect on ql that i've ever seen.

That was a lesson (an expensive lesson) i learned long ago. When putting together implants, always start with the shiny and work down just in case there are ql problems for getting the clusters to fit.

[Sheffy]

I've bumped refined implants by about 8 QLs adding 2 clusters. This was with a 214 Trader with very high NP.

[Numbfreeze]

you get a ql 80 implant, clean it, have someone assemble it, and gain a damn level if it comes out 81 and you can't equip it.

[Novafox]

From my experience, since I build exact QL implants, I see implants under 100 (I know theres a lower limit to QL raising, but I don't know where exactly) raise by 1 QL for every cluster added. From 100 to 149 they raise by 2 QLs per cluster added. From 150-197 they raise by 3 QL for each cluster. Of course implants can't raise over 200. This isn't always right though, as I once built a set of implants with a goal to hit QL 170 at completion and one implant ended up 169 instead, despite using the same process on all the implants. This is all with my engineer with somewhere around 1200 NP skill, I believe.
I don't have a lot of experience with refined implants so I couldn't say much about them, but it stands to reason that they would improve by 4 QLs per cluster up to 250 and 5 beyond. But as far as I know, this is all also based on the tradeskillers skill as well, such that as the skill required gets close to the skill they have, QL doesn't raise so much, and maybe not at all at some point.

[kuznechik]

Ql raises if your NP (or other skill used for jobe clusters) is much bigger than required.
Clusters require different skill to put:
Faded requires less,
bright requires 1.5xFaded,
Shiny requires 2xFaded

Ability clusters usually requires more than skill clusters in the same place.

So for building exact level there is 2 ways: Either buy exact ql and play with toon NP unbuffed/wearing items/buffed/buffed with HQ to meet NP requirements exactly, or buy imp cleaner and accurately train your imp from lower level.

[Kari]

Don't forget that a ql79 imp will give the same boost as a ql80, only it'll be slightly easier to get in.

For building lowbie twink imps I usually combine/clean up to three levels below what I'm aiming at, buy high ql faded/bright, and then get the lowest shiny that will fit. That way at best I end up with a perfect ql, I'll possibly end up with one ql over what I'm aiming at but still ok, and at worst it'll be one too low, although if you bother to get really high ql bright clusters that's unlikely.

[darktalan]

In my experience whether it gets bumped up or not is entirely based on the nanoprogramming skill of the tradeskiller. Also I seem to remember that if you use the tradeskill menu instead of just dragging it on, if you info the result that shows up in the third box you can tell if its going to get bumped up or not. A simple trick for always having the 'right' amount of nanopogramming is to save,terminate, and while your rezzing and have the exact amount of np, do the combine.

[sixchars]

QL1-49: Will not bump (not even if you have 5000 NP)
QL50-99: 1 QL bump per cluster if you have enough NP
QL100-149: 2 QLs per cluster
QL150-199: 3 QLs per cluster (well, obviously you can't bump a ql199 more than one QL..)
QL201-249: 4 QLs per cluster
QL250-299: 5 QLs per cluster
(Basically it's the QL of the implant, divided by 50 and rounded down..)

Shiny clusters will require 300 NP above the requirement to bump the implant by 1 QL. 600 NP to bump it 2 QLs, 900 to bump it 3 QLs.. etc..
Bright clusters will require 200 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 400 for 2, 600 for 3... etc..
Faded clusters will require 100 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 200 for 2, 300 for 3.. etc..

So yes, there is a way to know exactly how many QLs an implant will bump.

[Deathstalker]

QL1-49: Will not bump (not even if you have 5000 NP)
QL50-99: 1 QL bump per cluster if you have enough NP
QL100-149: 2 QLs per cluster
QL150-199: 3 QLs per cluster (well, obviously you can't bump a ql199 more than one QL..)
QL201-249: 4 QLs per cluster
QL250-299: 5 QLs per cluster
(Basically it's the QL of the implant, divided by 50 and rounded down..)

Shiny clusters will require 300 NP above the requirement to bump the implant by 1 QL. 600 NP to bump it 2 QLs, 900 to bump it 3 QLs.. etc..
Bright clusters will require 200 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 400 for 2, 600 for 3... etc..
Faded clusters will require 100 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 200 for 2, 300 for 3.. etc..

So yes, there is a way to know exactly how many QLs an implant will bump.

sweetness bump

[Shaoleet]

sticky bump

(side note: The only cases where I managed to get a 150+ implant to rise for 3 QLs seems to be 197ers jumping to 200.. lowers usually rise 2QL per cluster for me.. and 1,6k NP should be fairly above requirements..)

[bugii]

omg.. O M G... awesome.. and even pretty close along the lines I had personally been estimating it goes..

WTB sticky, or something..

I might add two pieces of info/tips:

Some clusters are "bugged" in the sense that they e.g. don't jump the QL at all while the next similar cluster (just different skill, same slot, same QL) does it normal. So check the result before doing the process if you're upto exact QL.

Second, remember to consider the effect of implant QL going up during the process. If the QL jumps at faded insertion by 3 QLs and hops over to next "category" of higher QL implants, you might get additional suprise jump with the bright and/or shiny cluster. If this isn't about to happen, you can easily check final QL by checking each cluster to be inserted separately and add their QL jumps.

[Louderer789]

I use kuznechik's method and it works well for building exact QL imps without estimation. Get your blank and clusters, have a low level (alt, bankmule, whatever) try to combine and write down the NP requirements for each. Then by adding/removing equipment and buffs, or by dying (sometimes repeatedly) combine the clusters with the imp when you have just enough skill to do so.

I have done so with success a few times, but for most implants its more trouble than it's worth. Making QL100 jobe implants was a fun experiment though

[kuznechik]

Heh, I've posted here some time ago...
Well, now I'm lazy 214 and just use my engi to train imps with faded clusters.
inserting cluster will net me +1/+2/+3 depending on implant level, clearing will net me nothing (not uber b&e. something around 900-1000).

For low-level twink I'm toying with now (lvl14, ql70-90 imps) I just buy nearest possible basic imp and few faded clusters (cheap) to train it to needed level.

[kakafonia]

QL1-49: Will not bump (not even if you have 5000 NP)
QL50-99: 1 QL bump per cluster if you have enough NP
QL100-149: 2 QLs per cluster
QL150-199: 3 QLs per cluster (well, obviously you can't bump a ql199 more than one QL..)
QL201-249: 4 QLs per cluster
QL250-299: 5 QLs per cluster
(Basically it's the QL of the implant, divided by 50 and rounded down..)

Shiny clusters will require 300 NP above the requirement to bump the implant by 1 QL. 600 NP to bump it 2 QLs, 900 to bump it 3 QLs.. etc..
Bright clusters will require 200 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 400 for 2, 600 for 3... etc..
Faded clusters will require 100 NP above the requirements to bump the implant by 1 QL, 200 for 2, 300 for 3.. etc..

So yes, there is a way to know exactly how many QLs an implant will bump.

Invaluable, bump

[erozc]

If you don't want to have the implant jump any levels, bug the nearest engie who's got about enough NP to put the shiny cluster in. Then just bug him some more and talk him into dying, and have him complete the implant while rezzing, starting with faded cluster so you don't get any QL jumps.

Compared to the usual "make crab plx", a tell that instead says "hi i need imp made go die plz so you dont haev too much np" makes every engi jump of joy