Ask a Simple Question, get a Detailed Answer

[DoctorShanks]

Figured I'll throw in my two cents as well.

Once upon a time, a friend of mine was grinding Ana's request like mad because he really, REALLY wanted the Milias Breaker. After 80+ or so runs, he finally gave up. A little while later, I told him that the drop rate is boosted if you played online. He played online, and got his Milias Breaker in two full field runs.

We can number crunch all we want, but it really all boils down to luck. In the very end game, I only ever did field runs. I find field runs to be more fun and "less-grindy" anyway.

[Chaos Rappy]

Just so you know, when doing probability, it's never additive or multiplicative, it's more along the lines of subtractive exponential (when calculating percentiles less than 100%). Doing X runs at Y% chance doesn't give you X times Y% chance, it's more along the lines of an equation looking like (100 - [(100-Y)% to the power of X]); in which the values in inner parentheses () are your odds of not getting it (in the first try), the values in the brackets [] are your odds of NOT getting in in three tries, and the overall result being your chance of getting it in three tries.

Example: Say you have a 1 in 4 chance of something happening in X tries, which we'll say will be 3 tries. 25% chances, three tries. That won't make you have a 75% chance of getting it after all three chances, however, it's still a bit lower than that. Since your odds have to be calculated using your chances of NOT getting it (since any value of percent less than 100 is not a whole number, and means exponents will make the number LOWER the more you did it if done INCORRECTLY that way). So, you're chances of NOT getting it are 75%. In three tries, your chances of not getting it are 75%, and then 75% of that 75%, and then 75% of THAT'S result's outcome, meaning .75 to the third power, which is, approximately, 42.2% chance of NOT getting it. Take that number and, once more, subtract it from 100%, and you have your overall chance of getting that 1/4 chance thing in three tries: approximately 57.8%.

Just throwing my own 65536 to the 16th root number of cents in there. This IS the "ask a simple answer, get a DETAILED answer" topic... ;P

As for speed in doing runs, with the time that gets added in from the text-adventures offline, I find it to somewhat still be faster doing field runs, since in the time all the events in an average quest could be done and over with back to the actual field-roaming, I may have gotten a room or even two further into the map in a field run. Adding in the fact that luck may or may not determine how long you can do a Quest (which, if they are halves, as I said above, will likely have extended maps as well as the occasional extra dead-end), with knowing that Field runs will always boost your droprate for rares, there's very little reason not to do it. Even just doing it offline, you could have NEARLY the same chances of getting a rare drop in about 3 Field runs as it would take 5 Quests. That could be plenty of time saved and spent doing even more runs and have an even higher chance.

[FOODFOOD]

I've been math'd!

I forgot to take into account text for quests as well. Hmmmm... your persuading towards field runs is working on me.

[Chaos Rappy]

Well, then it seems my work here is done. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! >:'D

...of course, half of me wants to say that most people will believe anything I say that involves numbers only because they THINK I'm right because of how confident I am in what I'm saying when I throw numbers around like that. ;P

[Mega605]

If you're looking for a wepon on super hard solo would it be easier to get offline or online. i trying to get a crimson vis in dark or machine%. i can only do sh offline with my HUcast, but can do it online with him and my RAmar, my fonewn can be he sucks and dies to much

[DoctorShanks]

If you're looking for a wepon on super hard solo would it be easier to get offline or online. i trying to get a crimson vis in dark or machine%. i can only do sh offline with my HUcast, but can do it online with him and my RAmar, my fonewn can be he sucks and dies to much

The item drop rate is boosted while playing online, so if you can find yourself a decent party, or play on Free Play, then it would be worth the time to hunt online.

If your FOnewm is dying too much, then try grabbing yourself a Pizza Box, Ancient Robe, or a Noble Cloak. Secondly, make good use of Jellen, and you'll avoid more attacks from your enemies. Boom your FOnewm no longer sucks

Alternatively, if your FOnewm sucks because he's not dealing enough damage, then read this over and try again. The FOnewm is supposed to be the ultimate Tech user.

[Mega605]

i play free play but when i'm my ramar lv92 i find people will quit on me but then i turn into my cast lv100 and the don't and i mostly use my ranger he is my main.
my fonewn has a noble cloak 4 slot i have 3 of them. i don't use the jellen and the other one i don't see the damage/defence difference so i think there a wast of space on my palet. my newn has 80 mind mats and 100 mind mag. i don't use him alot my rager does much better but does less damage in some places

[RaHuFo-09]

Sorry if this sounds like a newbie question, but any monster that has a white shadow underneath is considered boosted when it comes to item drops right? I was always confused back then when looking through the drop charts and planning my field runs because of the words "grey shadow monster variant."

[DoctorShanks]

Boosted monsters have boosted stats all around, including HP, Accuracy, and Evasion which can make them a lot harder to kill. They do grant extra EXP upon death, and have a bigger chance to drop their rare item. Monsters don't have to be boosted to drop their "boosted drop," so you could get lucky either way.

But yeah, the mobs with the white shadows are the boosted monsters. At least to me, anyway, the shadows look more white than they do grey.

[Chaos Rappy]

The FMA report ingame even says they're "white-shadowed", so I don't even know where that gray could have come from. :P

FMA Report 2 : "Boost hostiles" I have named the white-shadowed beasts. The first to name wins.

That's the exact quote in-game.