Harvesting Specializations

[systemv]

As far as I (and many other experienced harvesters I've talked to) can tell, material extraction specialization stanzas have little or no practical impact, other than to increase the cost of each extraction cycle. Is this a bug, or am I (and many other experienced harvesters) missing something?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but specializations let you use a harmful rate act like a gentle and for prospects increases the time.

My stanza:

gentle speed
harmful rate
gentle quality
lakeland specialization

I usually get 3-4 extra pulls with this rather than without specialization and all gentles.

I would think this would work with a specific material specialization in the same way (will test tonight :D )

[bcharles]

I've found that if I use material specializations, I have to use my care plans far less frequently, and so get an average of 2 or 3 extra mats per cycle. They are definately worth it as far as I'm concerned.

[madnak]

Mat spec on extraction cancels out harmful rate (makes it like gentle rate). As far as I can tell, that's all it does. So if you use maximum harmful rate with extraction spec, you will see an increase in mats.

Extraction spec does nothing for gentle stanzas.

[b00ster1]

With "Material exctraction spec." in extraction action, ~20% faster reached max (target) quality.
A little reduce agressivenes of "harmful rate", but more noticeable on "speed" (but after Patch 1, nobody uses solo 'Harmful speed').

[bobturke]

Using all gentle stanzas material specialisation increases mat yield by about 15% and slightly decreases the number of care plans required (about one less at level 110 diggin). The extra mats may be due to having to do one less care plan, but i haven't tested that.

Can't comment on canceling harmful rate or use in prospecting, but now i have a new idea to try.

[keoni]

Mat spec on extraction cancels out harmful rate (makes it like gentle rate). As far as I can tell, that's all it does. So if you use maximum harmful rate with extraction spec, you will see an increase in mats.

Harmful rate can be used in place of gentle rate, with little or no difference in the the care plans needed, even without material specialization (I do use terrain specializtion, however). This was a trick that Saranda taught me, about forty forage levels ago.

[madnak]

I noticed an extreme difference using harmful rate without mat spec versus with mat spec. I had to care 5-6 times, versus 3-4 times.

Also I was getting the same number of mats using all gentle/mat spec and all gentle/no mat spec. May be worth some further testing, but I really don't think it increases mat yield. I hadn't noticed a difference on caring either (3-4 cares per source with or without it), but I didn't test extensively, so it may lower aggressiveness evenwith all gentle.

[wak313]

With "Material exctraction spec." in extraction action, ~20% faster reached max (target) quality.
A little reduce agressivenes of "harmful rate", but more noticeable on "speed" (but after Patch 1, nobody uses solo 'Harmful speed').

I must be a complete noob - i use Harmful Rate 4, Harmful Speed 4, Harmful q130 extraction - and i get 9-10 q130 mats solo....

I also use Dessert Specialisation 2

[ozric]

I must be a complete noob - i use Harmful Rate 4, Harmful Speed 4, Harmful q130 extraction - and i get 9-10 q130 mats solo....

I also use Dessert Specialisation 2

Please dont harvest anywhere near me

[dakhound]

I must be a complete noob - i use Harmful Rate 4, Harmful Speed 4, Harmful q130 extraction - and i get 9-10 q130 mats solo....

I also use Dessert Specialisation 2

well just to point out I use an all gentle dig/prospect and at that lvl I was getting 10xq130 only having to care once. so in my mind you are taking risks you dont have to