A Farming System Question

[Mark Levinson]

Has anyone found a system, where farming would become more productive? Talking about the game only, no DLC's. I've personally found some chests that tend to yield considerably better items all the time. Care to tell where they are in each level? Also what vending machines yield best loot and when?

I find machines to yield best loot right after I launch Borderlands (first 20 minutes). New Haven tends to open the second weapon machine when I start off from Moxxi's place and then jump around a bit (to other levels), before going there. After those first 20 minutes elapse, the machines usually start selling crappy items. Has anyone found a system or a pattern of places to visit in those first 20 minutes to get best loot?

P.S.: Also, I need a good quick healing shield with preferably 1500 health and around 200 recharge rate. Anyone found one in Borderlands yet (no DLCs)? If so, where and how?

[DeltaTango]

I got the game in November and played through with a Soldier. I took him through PT2, Zombie Island, and just recently Knoxx. However my gameplay was sorta slow. You can't really just blast through if you're using CR's. I barely found good loot. It was far between good finds. LOT of crap dropped/opened.

However recently I started levelling up a Siren. I wanted to beat PT2 so I could go enjoy Knoxx again, and then woop Cramerax's butt. I've actually found that since I started playing a Siren, I've been getting pretty good loot on a consistent level. So I'm thinking maybe it's a speed thing?

Of course it's probably totally random, and these are just random manifestations we're encountering, but I swear, since I started blasting through enemies, I come across great weapons. And even funnier is I'm using only SMG's, and guess what I get all the time? SMG's.

[tyr x]

I've killed crawmerax in about half a minute and not gotten a single level 61 item... as a siren with a +2 rare find catalyst class mod.

[LarvaLounge]

I think the patterns you are seeing are most likely just coincidence, or your imagination, I hate to say. I really don't think they programmed that sort of stuff into the game. I suppose the patterns you notice could be the result of the pseudo-random number generators that decide what we see (someone much more computer savvy than I could verify/dispute that, I'm sure)... but again, I highly doubt it.

Well, one thing though... the red chests will consistently give better loot than the white ones, but I expect you knew that. For the most red chests in a small area, go to Crimson Fastness.

I will say though that Pre-Knoxx, I really believed that farming vending machines yielded more Orange items per time spent, than farming the New Haven Chests (old New Haven chests, the good ones people always farmed). I never tested it with any statistics, but when my Siren was looking to upgrade her Hellfire, I tried running the chests for MANY hours, and I tried just Phase-Walking straight to the New Haven vending machines for many hours.... I saw SO many more Hellfires (and other Oranges) come up on the vending machines. Again, this may have been coincidence, but you can definitely see more weapons faster just hitting vending machines and reloading.

This was before the most recent patch, which nerfed the New Haven chests, as well as putting level 51+ items into the Item of the Day slot on weapon venders.

For shields and class mods, definitely farm vending machines. Go to the highest level area (or anywhere if you are in PT 2.5) that you can spawn right next to the machine and just keep reloading. It's boring as hell, but it's by far the fastest way to see the most MODs in a period of time.

[HEEGZ]

I would recommend Crimson Fastness and Old Haven. Right before Knoxx came out I was also doing a huge circuit in Salt Flats, but it wasn't very productive, just fun.

[Mark Levinson]

Cool, thanks alot for the tips guys! Will try.

[Skytorn]

The Moxxi vending machine thing is definitely real. Going there from Jakobs Cove or T-Bone junction will work as well.

[Scottes]

Originally Posted by Skytorn

The Moxxi vending machine thing is definitely real. Going there from Jakobs Cove or T-Bone junction will work as well.

I don't really understand this. There's nothing special about Moxxi's vending machines (Underdome or her machine in Knoxx).

[HEEGZ]

The loot in Moxxi's vending machines will always be at your level. Even at 61. Great way to find COM upgrades, and the occasional gun.

[madned]

Originally Posted by DeltaTango

... a Siren, I've been getting pretty good loot on a consistent level. So I'm thinking maybe it's a speed thing?
...

don't think so. i think it's just the difference in weapon preferences.
enhanced smgs tend to drop more than MGs and CRs.

most MGs i find tend to be seriously handicapped by low fire rates even as a siren. CRs seem to be mostly damage dependant, so since you're only really looking at the damage that tends to cap out fast. decent smgs drop all the time, but are usually worse than what i've already got, so into the vendor.