Hi everyone -

I'm enjoying WAR and am now at 25/23 Bright Wiizard status on Iron Rock.  My question revolves around the bolster buff that everyone gets when entering an rvr area, in my case a bolster to level 28.  Here are my questions in random order:

• After visiting a "Renown Trainer" say in Altdorf, how do I verify that what I've put points into has been applied to my character?  Do these only show up while in an RvR area?  Is there a UI element that I'm not seeing?
• For everyone whose natural rank is below the BOLSTERED rank stats, what is the point of buying expensive gear with say INT stats if the BOLSTERED stats far overpower what you have purchased?
• Is there a hard / soft cap on stat levels, in other words can I hit the ceiling on say INTEL at any given level or is it whatever I can afford?
• Are the renown merchants in the guild hall in Altdorf the same as the renown merchants in the held keeps?  Cuz I'm not too impressed with what I've seen so far on renown merchants.  Am I missing something?
• Is there a real difference between renown gear stats and pve gear stats, and most importantly are stats on renown gear transferred on a 1:1 ratio to pve and vice versa?
• I notice that the higher I get in level the less emphasis on INTELLIGENCE stats are on equip...it seems to be inversely proportional...I thought as a BW that INTEL was MOST important stat.  For example my weapon as a BW is my staff.  At early levels the INT stats on available staffs were quite good - at one point I saw +85 INT, but as I gain ranks the staffs I see now are diminishing in INT stats and moving to say WILL.  The best staff I have seen so far is +45 WILL and + 54 INTEL 
• What INTEL level should I be hovering around at my level?
• Anyone notice that your tactics, such as +100 INTEL sometimes doesnt get applied until after removing it and replacing it again?

Thanks for reading!

Originally posted by MMOPlaya

Hi everyone -

I'm enjoying WAR and am now at 25/23 Bright Wiizard status on Iron Rock.  My question revolves around the bolster buff that everyone gets when entering an rvr area, in my case a bolster to level 28.  Here are my questions in random order:

• After visiting a "Renown Trainer" say in Altdorf, how do I verify that what I've put points into has been applied to my character?  Do these only show up while in an RvR area?  Is there a UI element that I'm not seeing?  It shows up on the renown tree screen at the trainer.  You can't actually view it elsewhere.  Go to the trainer and look at the boxes you purchased, there should be an indication of the skills in the bottom of the diamond like a little 1,2,3 etc.  It also shows it in the tooltip when you mouse over the skill.  Once purchased, they are on all the time.
• For everyone whose natural rank is below the BOLSTERED rank stats, what is the point of buying expensive gear with say INT stats if the BOLSTERED stats far overpower what you have purchased?  I have not tested this.  However, I believe that bolster just adds the natural stat bonuses per level that you are bolstered.  IE:  If you get 4 int per level, in your case you would get 3 levels of int added, so merely +12 Int.  Now, getting good gear may add 20 Int to your stats, so I "think" you would still get the +20 and +12.  See my discussion of caps next.
• Is there a hard / soft cap on stat levels, in other words can I hit the ceiling on say INTEL at any given level or is it whatever I can afford?  The testing I have seen on this is that there is NO cap.  In fact, the testing I have seen indicates that all stats are linear (geometric?) in progression.  In other words, if 10 int = +1 spell dps, it remains so as high as you push your int.  The tests I have seen are Int (spell damage), Wis (healing), and Str (melee damage).  I have not seen tests on initiative and toughness yet.
• Are the renown merchants in the guild hall in Altdorf the same as the renown merchants in the held keeps?  Cuz I'm not too impressed with what I've seen so far on renown merchants.  Am I missing something?  Renown gear is very underpowered at this point.  It is a major issue with players and one that Mythic says they are working on.  It is the same regardless of the merchant.
• Is there a real difference between renown gear stats and pve gear stats, and most importantly are stats on renown gear transferred on a 1:1 ratio to pve and vice versa?  All the gear works the same regardless of where you got it.
• I notice that the higher I get in level the less emphasis on INTELLIGENCE stats are on equip...it seems to be inversely proportional...I thought as a BW that INTEL was MOST important stat.  For example my weapon as a BW is my staff.  At early levels the INT stats on available staffs were quite good - at one point I saw +85 INT, but as I gain ranks the staffs I see now are diminishing in INT stats and moving to say WILL.  The best staff I have seen so far is +45 WILL and + 54 INTEL  People have been complaining about the itemization at higher levels, I don't know if we can answer your question.  It may have something to do with the way Mythic expected us to gain equipment versus how players actually end up choosing and equiping themselves.
• What INTEL level should I be hovering around at my level?  At 25?  Probably somewhere around 600 without buffs?  I am not positive though.  My only toon above 25 is a zealot, and I need both WIL and Int, so mine are around 500 each at 29 without buffs.
• Anyone notice that your tactics, such as +100 INTEL sometimes doesnt get applied until after removing it and replacing it again?  It is a bug as far as I know.  I reported it as such on my zealot.

Thanks for reading!

The only question I am not very confident on is your first question.  There may be another way to view your renown skill choices that I just haven't seen yet.  At this point I too am a little miffed why they don't separate them out when you hover your mouse over your stats and such.

Excellent, thanks for the detailed responses, always appreciated.