Action RPG games gear question

[pontifex]

It's been a little while since i played one and I am currently playing The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing.

I've got some gear with some pretty good stat bonuses but it's getting pretty old now.

For instance, the chest piece I am currently wearing is level 4, but it's rare armor.

Has 14 defense
+4 body (strength)
+3 dexterity
+16 poison resist
+15 elemental resist

I just got a level 9 chest piece, also rare.
It has 47 defense
+11 item defense (i'm not sure if this is just +11 defense on this 1 item or adds +11 defense to all items - can;t seem to find any info on how things work)
+22 elemental resist
+19 physical resist

If I equip it, I'll lose 20 hp, 1.82 dps, but gain 31 protection.

the current armor has good stat boosts but lower defense. I'm not really having much trouble with mobs right now, so not sure to switch or not?

When do you switch?

 

[TidusZ]

check how much chance to avoid attacks the extra defence will give. At low level it could be significant. If you aren't dying then just stick with the first armor for more dps (body gives dps for melee, dex gives dps for range). Once you have access to enchants you should enchant all your gear as it gives pretty big bonuses for the cost. Btw, if you're playing melee just put all points in body, and if range, all points in dex.

 

[pontifex]

i'm level 14 and still using that level 4 piece of gear. sometimes I get hit with something and it really hurts but most of the time i barely lose any HP, so a combo of my skills, stats, and gear must be working ok. I haven't really changed much gear in a long time. everything has good stats that I haven't been able to find to replace it.

I kind of want to swap something just to change the look of my character, haha.

 

[shortylickens]

On ANY game, I never switch to armor or HP centric until I am getting my ass killed and cant move ahead.
I hate swapping gear all the time just cuz I found something one point higher.

This is especially troublesome in Titan Quest when you are constantly getting piles of new crap.