inja wrote:
You'll also start noticing power loss if you overdo it so keep an eye on it. (didn't notice it til after lvl 20).
That is because of this:
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I put the one that gives a bonus with no strings attached first(example: progess +9)
To say that this buff is "no strings attached" is a little misleading, because this is the buff that eats power. There's always a tradeoff.
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There are other techniques that probably can help you out in these situation by slowing down progress so that you can get time to recover. Haven't really bothered to test those out. Maybe I'll do that...
My method (and I haven't failed to get a pristine on a post-lvl 10 combine since I started doing this) is to make sure with each...tick? wave? surge?...of the combine, I hit the ones that increases durability (after lvl 10 obviously) for at least the first half of the first progress bar. If an adverse event occurs, of course I will hit the one that counters it first, then I will hit the other two. I don't craft naked, but I do use a power totem. If I'm running low on power anyway--rare, when using an appropriate level totem--I will only use the two that don't consume power, unless an adverse event happens requiring me to use the one that does consume power.
After the first half of the first progress bar (until about lvl 30 I actually do this through the whole first progress bar, which you may have noticed is the bar that takes the longest to complete and appears to get longer with each tier) I have "banked" a lot of durability. Yes, you can go above 100% durability--you may not see it, but it's there. So after the first half-to-whole bar is completed, I switch to the buffs that increase progress instead of durability, and spam those with each surge. If it looks like my durability is getting too low, I will switch back to the durability ones until I've topped off the durability bar. This way, the combine doesn't take forever to complete as it would if I used only the +durability buffs.
Another way to preserve durability without slowing progress too much (important if you're doing timed tradeskill writs) is to use this combination:
+ progress, - power
+ durability, - progress
+ progress, - success %
This should get you through the combination with plenty of time to spare and a pristine, as required by the writ. If you feel you've banked up enough durability, you can switch the second one to its + progress counterpart. If you're losing durability, change the first and third ones over to their + durability counterparts for a few combines.
I arrange the hotbar something like this:
(left hand)
1) + durability, - power
2) + durability, - progress
3) + durability, - success %
(right hand)
0) + progress, - power
-) + progress, - durability
=) + progress, - success %
This way, I can basically keep my hands on the number line of the keyboard with my index, middle and ring fingers on the three keys at each end, and just switch which hand I'm using depending on what my needs are for the combine. (so for durability I'll use my left hand on 1/2/3, for progress, I'll use my right on 0/-/=, and for the combo method I described above for writs, I'd use 0/2/=) It doesn't take long until you see the icon for the adverse event and just instinctively hit the button countering it without even having to remember which one it is (except for weaponsmithing, darnit, where two icons looks very much alike.)
Hopefully that made sense to someone beside me.
