High Quality is a better form of a Normal Quality item such as a weapon or piece of armor. High Quality items are occasionally produced through crafting.
For example:
In this example, the high quality Spatha has more attack power than the normal quality one.
Identifying High Quality Items[]
HQ versions of equipment often have a +1 in their names, for example:
Some, however, have an entirely different name than their normal quality counterparts:
- Scale Mail (NQ) / Solid Mail (HQ)
- Eisenbrust (NQ) / Kampfbrust (HQ)
- Chestnut Wand (NQ) / Solid Wand (HQ)
Some items have multiple levels of HQ, and can be identified by the border around the item's picture:
- NQ has no border.
- HQ1 has a White border.
- HQ2 has a Blue border.
- HQ3 has a Yellow border.
Items with 4 variants (a possible HQ3) are rare and are usually only seen with items like medicines (for example, Hi-Potion +3).
It is not always the case that the border around the item indicates a HQ item, recrafted items can gain the white border for a NQ synth, and the blue border for an HQ synth, for example:
- Legionnaire's Cap (NQ, no border) / Bastokan Cap (NQ, white border)
- HQ of a Bastokan Cap is a Republic Cap (HQ, blue border)
- Royal Knight's Belt (NQ, no border) / Royal Knight's Belt +1 (NQ, white border)
- HQ of a Royal Knight's Belt +1 is a Royal Knight's Belt +2 (HQ, blue border)
Crafting High Quality Items[]
If you are 11 levels above the cap of the recipe, you have a chance of 10% to produce a high quality result, called tier 1. Tier 2 is 31 above cap and has a 25% chance, and the best you can reach is tier 3 with 51 above cap and 50% high quality result chance. Additionally it is important to know that the Guild items raise your effective craft by a maximum of +3, and advanced synthesis support by another +3. This results in a maximum crafting skill of 106, making 55 the highest recipe in tier 3, 75 the highest in tier 2, and 95 the highest in tier 1. 96-100 are recipes which can only be synthed in tier 0, which has a high quality result chance of about 1%.
HQ Synthesis Chances[]
It is generally believed that the following results are accurate. These are, however, assumptions only.
Level Range 0 - 10 11 - 30 31 - 50 51 + HQ Rate 1-2% 8-10% 25% 50%
Note that Desynthesis follows different rules with regard to HQ results, mainly in that chances to HQ are much greater regardless of the crafter's skill level, but so is the chance for the desynth to fail. It is possible HQ rate is affected by levels (or lack thereof) above cap for recipe subcrafts as well.
Equipment Effect[]
Certain equipment raises your effective craft skill by +3. Each guild have their own equipments which can be obtained via guild point purchases from guild point merchants.
Testing[]
Further Information[]
Your high quality rate is rumored to be also affected by the current Vana'diel day and Moon Phase.
- Crafting with a crystal thats element is strong to the current day will decrease your chances of receiving a HQ result but increase your chances of success.
- Using a crystal that is weak to the current day will decrease your chances of succeeding but increase your chances of HQ.
- New Moon: Increased HQ rate, decreased success rate
- Full Moon: Increased success, decreased HQ rate