For the more knowledgable tradekillers out there: How accurate is the tradekill calc on the eqtraders site for TAKP? http://www.eqtraders.com/calculators/main.php <3, Bum
Pretty accurate. I always found it accurate for Al'Kabor as well. Never really crunched the numbers but I always had a good feeling about the numbers it spit out and my experience.
At skill 189, on a trivial 250 combine, with 211 WIS the calculator says: 53% chance of success, 5.69% chance skill up on any combine. 43 combines resulted in 22 success (51.2%) 43 combines resulted in 4 skill ups (9.3%) So from this very small sample it shakes out as you might imagine on successes. The skill up rate is naturally more streaky over such a small number of combines. I likewise did 40 combines at skill 184, on a trivial 226 combine, with 211 WIS the calculator says: 66% chance of success, 4.79% chance skill up on combine. 40 combines resulted in 21 success (52.5%) 40 combines resulted in 1 skill up (2.5%) Tough to discern accuracy from these small samples but it all feels right with what I've done so far.
I tend to look at each combine as a separate event and just look at that the chance to skill up on each attempt. I remember doing brewing on a melee toon on p99... after getting frustrated and wasting time looking for int gear I just brute forced it. The difference in skill up chance with max int vs int in the 100's wasn't worth it to me when brewing... it just meant more clicks. Brewing is dirt cheap to level though, it only costs your soul and PTSD from the sight of mino elder brews. even at max int/wis you can still go 100 combines and not see a skillup at higher levels - hence the mind set of looking at each attempt individually. -Edit: another thought would be to continue gathering mats that are available but wait for PoP to hit so you can use a gearlock - better success chance is going to up your chances at skillups (but not sure it's enough of an increase to wait a year or more before making a push)
Luclin releases Geerlok. Theoretically the Grandmaster Trophies will be combineable during Velious to those willing to throw about 5-25k~ into the effort depending on your luck assuming max skill. Also assuming they don't disable those combines.