Gathering Tools Stat Question (Minor Spoilers for early game)

[Mist of Majora]

So recently unlocked the ability to start combining gathering tools, and I just sacrificed an axe with 'Gathering L' to build a combined axe/scythe with 'Gathering S'.

From what I'm reading, the quality of my gathering tool doesn't matter (I upgraded from 34 to 150 quality haha), but am I worse off now than I was before when it comes to gathering resources with this?

[Seiffkin]

Yep. Gathering "L" = "Large" while "S" = "Small". I don't remember exactly how much this affect your gathering ability, but its quite big.
By the way, item quality in this game basically implies on how much you'll be able to sell the item, it will not impact on the effect of the same, so even if your tool is maxed out in quality, you'll still collect 30~100 from low level maps.

Just for reference: Small (S) < Medium (M) < Large (L) < Extra Large (XL).

[Melodia]

You can always 'rebuild' the Axe to get it back to snuff.

[Bobucles]

The quality of the tool doesn't matter, only its crafting grid matters. It is a good idea to max out the gathering grid for more loot, but it's more a convenience than an essential thing.

Tool recipes are generally difficult to max out. They do offer a fairly unique combination of ingredients and output item types, which is handy for shuffling around bonus traits.

[Mist of Majora]

Thank you everyone! That was very informative!

Two more questions if you don't mind:
1) If Gathering (S) - (L) improves the amount of items I can gather with each swing of a tool (I hope I got that right!), then does the Rare version of this (I think it's Rare Materials (S) - (L)) also improve the amount of rare loot I find? Or does it buff the quality and/or traits of rare loot when I find it?

2) I've been seeing a lot of 'Add Trait (Gas)' or 'Trait (Lumber)' on my items & tools lately. What exactly is the point of this 'trait' and I guess what does it do/affect?

[Bobucles]

2) I've been seeing a lot of 'Add Trait (Gas)' or 'Trait (Lumber)' on my items & tools lately. What exactly is the point of this 'trait' and I guess what does it do/affect?

These traits only matter for yeeting your tools into a cauldron. The tool can be used as a (gas) or (lumber) ingredient.

[Seiffkin]

About the first one it was been a while since I've played this game, so I might be wrong, but Rare Materials just increase the chances of better traits. You can also check for more descriptions about what each trait do in your Guide, inside the game.

Menu > Guide > Effects/Traits.

The number two, as Bobucles explained it will just add the displayed cathegory to the item.
For example: If you add (Fuel) to your "Red Supplement", you'll be able to use it to craft "Explosive Uni" using it.
(The item cathegory is always displayed as the title when you stop over a any module at your synthesis, so at "Explosive Uni" craft, the very first one is shown as "Uni" item cathegory).

[Synavix]

Adding those gas/lumber traits isn't particularly useful on expensive tools or items (don't waste your rebuild on getting them if they're out of the way), but it's pretty game-changing in the late-game for good quality material components. The same with the ones that add a new element.

For example, most "dragon" parts can only be looted from monsters, meaning the best you'll ever find is quality 100-150 even at max alchemy level. But you can craft "Master Leather" cloth and get an effect that "Add Trait (Dragon)", and then once you get the duplicator you can duplicate 999 quality master leathers to put into every recipe that has a dragon slot. For some of the more rare slot types its the only good way to get high quality items, and once you get the duplicator (which only works on crafted items) it's really good for reducing the need to grind for materials out in the world.

[Mist of Majora]

Thank you so much everyone - this has been SO helpful!!!

[Seiffkin]

o/~
Come back if there is any other questions~