Salvage Hypotheses.

Salvage is weird, like many things in the Aht Urhgan expansion. It appears that there are many hidden factors, the largest of which is weather. Now, I do not know for sure on some of these because I do not know if they are necessarily Salvage specific or if they are mob type specific, and for the non-weather hypothesis if they are genuinely testable. Anyway, that preface was a bit without context so let me get right to the point to see if it makes more sense.

*Salvage Hypothesis 1: Wind weather and Windsday increases the detection range for Archaic Machinery.

Well, I know now that at least the Windsday part of that hypothesis is incorrect because we recently had a Bhaflau run where we pulled the Archaic Gear on the 4th Floor and they did not link from further away than normal. Wind weather does obviously still have the effect on the aggro range of the Archaic Machinery though, at least in Bhaflau. I don't even know if the other zones can get Wind weather, I don't believe that they can. Conclusion: Wind weather does effect Archaic Machinery aggro range, while Windsday does not. This is then not the same effect that happens to Puks and Crawlers in their respective weather conditions and days.

*Salvage Hypothesis 2: Killing the Archaic Chariot on the 4th Floor of Bhaflau weakens Long-Bowed Chariot.

Although the "proof" of this is still in question without definitive parser results apparently, there is enough anecdotal evidence for me to advance the theory. The first is the relatively higher damage per hit I noticed, with the same equipment and attributes unlocked, over when we have not killed the Archaic Chariot. The second is the relatively higher rate that enfeebles are landed noted both by our RDM and BRD. The third is the fact that a DRK using a Kraken Club has tested in both situations and it appears that there is in fact some kind of damage cut if the Archaic Chariot is not killed. We always go to the West side, but the East side Archaic Chariot is supposed to weaken LBC in a similar but opposite way. West side is supposed to decrease its defense, evasion and magical defense (resists at very least and probably magic defense too) while East side decreases its attack, damage and accuracy. Which made me think of something else to try, see below.

*Salvage Hypothesis 3: Ice weather and Iceday makes the Fomor in Silver Seas Remnants stronger and/or give the TP regain.

There is much less proof of this, and I haven't seen anyone else not this, but I have seen Fomors pulled in Powderkeg's room that when pulled immediately used TP moves. This happened more than once, and it only happened on Iceday. I suspect that this may just be the natural state for the Fomor in the Aht Urhgan areas, as it is with Puk and Eruca. I just haven't seen anyone else confirm this, nor do I know if it is a Salvage only thing or if it is for the whole expansion.

*Salvage Hypothesis 4: The triple gears on Bhaflau floor have some effect on Low-Bowed Chariot.

This one I haven't even checked. I don't know of anyone that has checked it, but I am going to check it this weekend and maybe even tonight. I suspect that eliminating all of the triple gears might have the effect of the opposite Archaic Chariot. Well, all we can do with that is see what happens.