How to compare equipment and decide what loot to keep

An item is only useful in relation to a job. Before comparing numbers, decide whether you are filling an equipment slot, carrying healing or utility, collecting a crafting ingredient, completing a quest, or taking valuables back to camp. This keeps a large archive from turning into an aimless list of names.

Use the item category and equipment-slot filters first. Then open two realistic choices and compare the same numbers on both pages. If a number is not shown for one item, leave that part out of the comparison instead of treating it as zero.

• Equipment question: does it fit the slot and action you intend to use?
• Inventory question: how much space does it occupy and what known value does that space carry?
• Crafting question: is it an ingredient, a tool, a facility requirement, or the finished output?
• Quest question: is the item issued on acceptance, required for an objective, or awarded on completion?

The archive shows an item’s grid footprint when the current public data contains dimensions. Multiplying width by height gives occupied cells; value per slot is the listed base value divided by those cells. This is useful when two loot choices compete for limited inventory space, but it does not measure combat value, quest importance, crafting scarcity, or what you personally need next.

Compare like with like. A compact crafting material and a large weapon solve different problems, so a higher value-per-slot number does not make the material an automatic replacement for the weapon. When stack size is known, also check whether several units can share one footprint. When it is unknown, plan conservatively and confirm the actual stack in the game.

Detail pages can show base damage, maximum durability, material effects, component bonuses, or body-area protection. Your own item may have different durability, quality or temporary effects, so check the item in your inventory before making the final choice.

For weapons assembled from parts, read the body, fitted components, and selected material separately before looking at the combined result. For armour, check which body areas the piece covers and how the chosen material changes the displayed protection. For repair supplies, verify compatibility and the listed repair limit instead of assuming every repair item works on every piece of equipment.

A source link can mean a confirmed crafting output, a quest reward, a possible monster drop, or a mapped container candidate. Those relationships are not interchangeable. A possible drop is not a guaranteed drop, and a mapped container location does not promise that the same item appears in every run.

Open the linked source instead of stopping at the item page. A quest page can distinguish acceptance items from completion rewards. A crafting method can show its own ingredients, tools, facilities, and output quantity. A map link can take you to a known location while preserving the warning that random generation and unconfirmed floors remain uncertain.

After comparing records, reduce the result to one primary choice and one fallback. Note the reason in plain language: fits the intended slot, covers a needed body area, uses materials already available, occupies fewer cells, or connects to the next quest or camp goal. A short reason is more useful than copying every number.

Before leaving camp, make sure the item is actually in your inventory, its durability is acceptable, you have enough ammunition or healing, and it fits the intended slot. This final check keeps a good plan from failing over one missing item or an unusable piece of equipment.

First, write down one goal for the next expedition. Second, search the item archive and filter to the relevant category. Third, open at most two candidates and compare only fields that are present on both pages. Fourth, follow one source or crafting relationship far enough to confirm that the acquisition route is realistic for this run. Fifth, return to the game and verify current condition, quantity, and slot placement.

This short workflow is for making one useful choice. If the two items do not show comparable numbers, compare what each one is for instead of forcing a ranking. Treat random containers and monster drops as opportunities, not promises.