High Quality
From FFXIclopedia, the free Final Fantasy XI encyclopedia
High Quality is a better form of a Normal Quality item such as a weapon or piece of armor. High Quality items can be made only through crafting (though they can be bought from a craftsperson that has already made it), and occasionally, when a skilled craftsperson attempts to forge an item, the result will be a High Quality version of the item rather than the Normal Quality version. The exact rate of succeeding at forging a High Quality item is currently unknown, though it has been pinpointed to be related to a few key factors, which are discussed in more detail below.
Examples would be:
Normal Quality: Spatha High Quality: Spatha +1
In this example, the high quality Spatha would have more attack power than the normal quality one.
Identifying High Quality Items
HQ versions of equipment often have a +1 in their names.
examples: Wax Sword -> Wax Sword +1 Beak Necklace -> Beak Necklace +1 Red Cape -> Red Cape +1
Some, however, have an entirely different name than their normal quality counterparts.
examples: Scale Mail (NQ) -> Solid Mail (HQ) Eisenbrust (NQ) -> Kampfbrust (HQ) Chestnut Wand (NQ) -> Solid Wand (HQ)
Some items have multiple levels of HQ, and can be identified by the border around the item's picture.
NQ has no border. HQ1 has a White border. HQ2 has a Blue border. HQ3 has a Yellow border.
Items with 4 variants (thus, a possible HQ3) are rare and are usually only seen with items like medicines, one such example being a Hi-Potion +3. 3 variants (a possible HQ2) are more common. The vast majority of craftable items have 2 variants (a possible HQ1).
Some items with multiple levels of HQ may not adopt the "+1" on their name on a HQ1 copy of the item, but may do it with the HQ2.
example: Sardonyx Ring -> Courage Ring (HQ1) -> Courage Ring +1 (HQ2)
It does not always stand true, however, that the border around the item image may suggest that it is a HQ item, recrafted items gain the white border for a NQ synth, and the blue border for an HQ synth.
example 1: Legionnaire's Cap (L10) -> Bastokan Cap (L15) HQ of making a Bastokan Cap is a Republic Cap (L15) example 2: Royal Knight's Belt (L50) -> Royal Knight's Belt +1 (L52) HQ of making a Royal Knight's Belt +1 is a Royal Knight's Belt +2 (L52)
Crafting High Level Items
If you are 11 levels above the cap of the recipe, you have a chance of 10% to produce a high quality result, called tier 1. Tier 2 is 31 above cap and has a 25% chance, and the best you can reach is tier 3 with 51 above cap and 50% high quality result chance. Additionally it is important to know that the Guild items raise your effective craft by a maximum of +3, and advanced synthesis support by another +3. This results in a maximum crafting skill of 106, making 55 the highest recipe in tier 3, 75 the highest in tier 2, and 95 the highest in tier 1. 96-100 are recipies which can only be synthed in tier 0, which has a high quality result chance of about 1%.
HQ Synthesis Chances
It is generally believed that the following results are accurate. These are, however, assumptions only.
| Level Range | -10 - -1 | 0 - 10 | 11 - 30 | 31 - 50 | 51 - 70 | 71 - 90 | 91 - 110 |
| Success Rate | 50% | ||||||
| HQ Rate | 1-2% | 8-10% | 25% | 50% |
The main factor affecting your HQ rate in the short term is the current vanadiel day.
Crafting with a crystal thats element is strong to the current day will decrease your chances of recieving a HQ result but increase your chances of succeeding, using a crystal that is weak to the current day will decrease your chances of succeeding whilst increasing your chances of a HQ result.
Another factor widely believed to affect HQ and success rates is the current moon phase.
See [1] for experimental results across various day/moon combinations.
