Since the rework, Awakening is also great for PvE.

Succession is still better, but not with that much difference anymore. Awakening is really solid, and helps you defend your spot against other players.

Source: I grinded a lot of orcs in both specs with similar gear, tracked my average results, and concluded that both specs are fine to grind with. If grinding on odd times with less players online, go for succ. If grinding on a contested spot, go awakening.

Not sure if anyone else addressed this yet but if the accuracy you have is really 348, that is really low and you might not be hitting the mobs as you should be.

Look up 'bdo hit rate calculator' to see what your stats give you as a hit rate in the areas you are grinding.

You are 100% correct, with your gear star's end, thornwood, and kratuga are all no problem. Given some of the responses, you'd think you asked about abandoned monastary, ash, oluns, etc.. Some of the comments are exactly why it is difficult for actual concerned players to speak up.. I'd also say it might be your add-ons, crystals, rotation, and/or buffs. Best bet might be to watch a Lahn/zerk on youtube, look at their buffs and rotation at least and see if it works out.

Hi, I am a grinder, don't let CatDK get to you lol.  They're a rabid kitty.

278 AP / 328 DP, I'd recommend Sycria Underwater for grinding.  DP is a little low, but 328 should be good enough.  Star's End is also decent, but it's an RNG dependant spot, pretty convenient location, though, fun Arsha spot.  Castle Ruins, possibly with a good group.  Orcs and Bloody Monastary, I'm a bit weary for your DP, especially Bloody M.  Lots of mob-feeders there, so if you get unexpectedly ganked > grabbed in the middle of a big pull, I hope your V is off cooldown.  With this gear, I'd say Sycria, Star's, Bandits, Fogan's/Naga's, Castle Ruins with a good group (let them aggro most of the mobs).

Some reasons you may not be doing as much damage as you expect:

- Add-ons may need re-tweaking.  For add-ons, focus on Crit %, Accuracy, Cast/Attack Speed, and at least one ability with a DP/Evasion debuff, preferably, a fast ability that you can quickly implement into your skill rotation.  You'll also want a Monster Damage increase add-on.  Crit Damage increase is also nice to have somewhere, you have many ways to customize add-ons.  Could even add Back Attack Damage increase, but main focus should be Crit %, Accuracy, and Cast/Attack speed, at least one Monster Damage and one skill with -DP/-Evasion, IMO.  Highly recommended to play around with add-ons, it may take a few trail and error to get it right...treat it like fun and you'll find a setup you like (add-ons are pretty personal preference).  Check your skill cooldowns, compare them to the add-on uptime, the add-on tier, etc. and go nuts.

- Learn your class kit.  Things like debuffs, skill rotations, basically, how to play it properly.  All classes can perform decently to well in PvE now, obviously, some better than others, but all are viable post-rework IMO.  More class PvE buffs on the way soon too, IE: Awakening Mystic.  I recommend picking a class you like, sticking with it and mastering it.  Your skill usage plays a big role in DPS'ing, so your skill in piloting your class plays as much a factor in Trash Loot per hour as gear + class.

- Take proper buffs.  Simple or Exquisite Cron Meal + Beast's or Frenzy Draught for starters.  Also run with Tent Villa Buff + Church Buff.  Tent Villa Buff is 1 million per hour or so, Church buff is 6 million for offensive buffs and defensive buffs.  Always grind with these basic buffs.  You could add Tent Drop Rate buff and Perfumes, but those are pretty optional IMO.  You could also add the experience Church Buff for an additional 3 mil optionally, but this won't help your DPS, just EXP gain.  I personally run with all 3 Church buffs + Villa + Simple Cron and Beast's for combat EXP (I want level 65 ASAP) almost everytime I grind.  On Arsha, I run with Exquisite and Giant's Draught.  Frenzy Draught is great for DPS, but maybe stick with Beast's for now until you get more DP since Frenzy cuts your defense.  You could run with Frenzy + Spirit Perfume Elixer for 300 HP and full level 5 crit to make up for the defensive and crit level sacrifice, but it gets pricey.  I just stick with Beast's most of the time on normal channel.  I hardly ever use the Tent Drop Rate Buff, I feel it's pretty 'meh' in my experience.  Kama Blessing and Loot Scroll are enough for me, personally, and whatever drop rate event is going on.

- Orcs needs a bit more Accuracy than most spots, I'm not sure if -350 will land you many hits.  Garmoth.com has a hit rate calculator, suggest to check it out and play around with the calculator as other posters have suggested.  Crystals play a big role in grinding too.  Are you using Jin Viper's?  Elkarrs?  If not, BiS for grinding is to use Accuracy Crystals in your gloves and mainhand (the best ones you can afford, yellow BMC in main and BON/WON Viper maybe), Corrupted Crystals in off-hand, 4x HAN Hooms.  Ahkrad Crystal in Awakening if you have a Garmoth's / Karanda's Heart.

Get 281 AP Kutum, you're really close, and maybe two DP brackets more if you can.  281 is a decent AP bracket in most spots.  329 is DP bracket.  Next DP bracket is 335. 281/335 should be good at Orcs, just try not to get KD'd, 341 DP should be cozy.  I think, not 100% sure on the DP part at Orcs, I haven't grinded there with less than 371.

IN generell if having high fps in game definitelly proven since first year on EU release already.

Depending on class If you got 85-90 fps you're starting to have faster skill animations and some skills hitting more times then they could/should.
So automatically means more $/h.
on 200fps it's becoming insane.

Most likely the outdated old engines fault (look how it is on other games like Fallout in generell- especially Fallout 76 which is also an online game, or some old call of duty games)

That, and the way stats are represented in the game is not only a joke, its a scam.
I guess thats why people say all kind of weird respones of too high or too low. Some tooltips ingame shows me 498 AP and 741 accuracy.
Not to mention, god knows how many hidden stats they still lie about or didnt tell us.

I did some more testing and I think I still need more accuracy but I dont know where to get it from. Crystalls are already top PvE and about 1 billion worth.

Either I need to upgrade my Kutum to PEN and pump a couple thousand of carphas into it or I have no idea at the moment.

Like no matter if I go full buff mode with +150 AP more to Stars End or with barely any buffs, mobs seem to die pretty the same. Of course with full buff I see a boost, but its not nearly as you would expect with like so much more AP.

What combo are you using to pve? lahn definitely top tier pve, but if youre using a bad combo then ofc u wont be doing damage.

Sweet Jesus .... Just what is that ?! 

278 AP and still complaining on your strenght ? I really hope it's a joke, because I'm at 277 AP, Tamer with 383 accuracy ( without any buff, completely naked ), and I LITTERALY two shot Kratuga, Hystria, Astralle, Thornwood ..... TAMER !!! Like ... Not the best class known on the market... 

So... I think that you don't really know how to play your character. You don't really know how to pull mob, you don't really know how to use your addon... BUT HOW THE HELL DID YOU SUCCEED TO HAVING 278 AP ?! Like ?! ... Come on dude... You just can't tell mobs are tanky even at 278 AP ... I just completely disagree with you.

I'm Lahn, 269k/328

I am able to solo Turos... it takes me about a minute to drop 4 Turos. Not the fastest but the point is that it's doable without strain and without dying. I only need to take small caution to absorbing certain attacks and evading the strongest ones.

Make sure you debuff them first and use your most damaging skills following it. Use add-ons for +acc/+crit/-dp/+monster dmg

The more time I spend analysing feedback the more I get the impression this game is heavily gatekeeped by brackets.

Game is letting you do insanely more damage just with 1-2 AP more which has no corelation even when you consider ALL the hidden stats.

I am now at AP 281 and DP 340 and accuracy at 383 unbuffed but havent tried other regions and just farm Sulfur Mines as of now.

This game has just the shitiest and buggy mechanics. Some other players with different class do nothing special and just walz through mobs for reasons only PA knows and then they think they are better skilled when in reality skill is so overrated in PvE. The buffs some classes get are not even worth mentioning compared to the buffs the food or a powerfull draught gives you.