Coco goes shopping...

[Sacha]

<DIV><SPAN class=postbody>Coco mouse goes into town to buy a loaf of bread. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=postbody><BR>She walks into the first bakery and says "I'll have a loaf of white bread please".<BR>"Sorry," says the baker, "I don't make bread for the public anymore. Friends and Family only."<BR>"You don't? Then why do you advertise bread in your shop window?" Coco asks, looking at the beautiful array of buns, rolls, loaves and twists on display.<BR>"Well, I worked hard to get to Master Baker, I want everyone to see what I <SPAN><EM>could</EM></SPAN> make <SPAN><EM>if</EM></SPAN> I were still baking," the baker puffed out his chest proudly. "But if it's bread you want, there's a Boulangerie opened up down the street, give them a try.<BR><BR>Coco clutches her grumbling tum and hurries out of the pretend bakery.<BR><BR>After some time searching she finally stumbles upon the Boulangerie, and stands for a moment drooling over the exotic delicacies, before stepping inside.<BR>"Hello," says Coco to the baker, "I'd like a loaf of white bread please"<BR>"Ahh, we don't do your regular white loaf here," replies the baker. "We make rare, exotic breads only. I can do you a Luscious Polynesian Bread, or a Maraschino Cherry and Pecan Batard, or how about a beautiful Sourdough Epis?"<BR>"Beautiful indeed, but out of my league," sighs Coco counting the small pile of pennies in her paw. "Thanks anyway."<BR><BR>Coco, now really very hungry, walks the length and breadth of the town looking for another baker. She asks passers-by who all feel sure that they may have seen bakeries, but couldn't swear to it, or point her in exactly the right direction. Growing weary Coco turns around and begins her walk home. (Little does our pauvre mouseling know that she has in fact passed three <SPAN><EM>anonymous</EM></SPAN> bakeries on her travels, two posing as launderettes and one disguised as a 7-11.)<BR><BR>With a heavy heart and an empty tummy Coco turns down the little side-road that short-cuts the journey home. She stops suddenly, and sniffs the air, her whiskers twitching frantically. "Bread! I smell bread. Freshly baked!" she cries. And there, on the other side of the street Coco spies a new bakery, one she's never seen before. The decor is very basic, the baker is obviously just starting up his business, but bread is bread, and Coco is very hungry.<BR><BR>"Hello!" grins Coco stepping into the shop. "What a wonderful smell! Is that bread you are baking? Regular loaves of white bread perchance?"<BR>"Well hello little mouse," replies the baker. "Yes, that is bread you can smell. Regular loaves of white bread. That's all I can make right now. I'm in training."<BR>"Marvellous! I'll take TWO!" squeaks Coco excitedly.<BR>"Ahh, well, you see," mutters the baker, "This lot here is already spoken for, and I don't have time to resource my own materials, what with having to stand in the shop all day too. So I'm out of ingredients right now. I <SPAN>can</SPAN> make bread for you, tasty white loaves, but you'll have to go and harvest some wheat, grind it into flour, prepare the yeast mixture and bring it all back to me. Then I'll put you on my list and you should have your bread first thing next week."<BR><BR>Coco is too hungry to argue. She slinks out of the shop and begins her mission to find wheat, grind it into flour, and prepare the yeast mixture ready for baking.<BR><BR>Two days later Coco mouse returns to town, slightly weaker, slightly thinner, but smiling. In her paws she carries a sack of white flour and a bowl of yeast mixture. It was quite enlightening making the ingredients. She even found she enjoyed it, and now, finally, it was time to reap her reward.<BR><BR>She turns into the little side-road that short-cuts to her house, and looks for the new bakery. She doesn't see it. Where it had been just two days ago, now stands a shiny, neon-lit Patisserie/ Boulangerie/ Delicatessen. Confused, and panicking slightly, Coco steps over the threshold of the new shop and her senses are attacked all at once by amazing sights and smells. All manner of buns, rolls, loaves and twists on display.<BR><BR>"My goodness! What happened here?" squeaks our little mouse in surprise.<BR>"Hehe hello little one" replies the baker. "Well, I got busy after you left, and I've made quite some progress the last two days."<BR>"I see that, congrats!" says Coco. "I've brought back the flour you asked for, and the yeast, may I please have my loaf of white bread now?"<BR>"Ahh...we don't do your bog-standard loaf here anymore," replies the baker. "Now we make rare, exotic breads only. I can do you a Luscious Polynesian Bread, or a Maraschino Cherry and Pecan Batard, or how about......"<BR><BR>Coco fixes a smile on her face. She knows what she must do. Nipping into the little bookshop next door, Coco looks around and spies what she needs. Picking it up she takes it to the counter.<BR><BR>"Price Check" shouts the cashier. "Bread-Making 101"<BR></DIV></SPAN><p>Message Edited by Sacha on <span class=date_text>10-03-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:36 PM</span>

[Cowdenic]

the truth LOL

[indigolily]

<DIV>o my gosh. That is such a sad little story, I was just starting out a few short months ago if you ever need any tips Coco <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Minnah Mousze 37Monk / 38Provisioner of Test </DIV>

[beylanu]

<span><blockquote><hr>Sacha wrote:<div></div> <div></div> <div><span class="postbody">Coco mouse goes into town to buy a loaf of bread. </span></div> <div><span class="postbody">... "My goodness! What happened here?" squeaks our little mouse in surprise."Hehe hello little one" replies the baker. "Well, I got busy after you left, and I've made quite some progress the last two days.""I see that, congrats!" says Coco. "I've brought back the flour you asked for, and the yeast, may I please have my loaf of white bread now?""Ahh...we don't do your bog-standard loaf here anymore," replies the baker. "Now we make rare, exotic breads only. I can do you a Luscious Polynesian Bread, or a Maraschino Cherry and Pecan Batard, or how about......" ...</span></div><hr></blockquote>Hi Sacha, I totally agree with the "point" you're trying to make. If I might nit-pick one detail, it's in the above scenario. That baker will never get any business from me, ever again.  He(she?) made a promise to Coco, that if the subs were provided, bread would be available.  It doesn't matter that he no longer gets xp from it.  A promise is a promise.  He needs to keep his promise. It's important, in every example/case study that we present, that we separate incidents that involve lack of personal integrity, from system wide flaws in the game.  There is no doubt that there are flaws in the way tradeskilling is setup in this game.  Alot of it has to do with lack of batch refines and how "triviality" is implemented. But one can never fully remove the need for personal integrity in this game.  That baker lacked personal integrity.  Making it profitable for him to go back and make the bread for Coco, doesn't solve the problem. BTW, I was in Coco's shoes.  And my "baker" fulfilled the order for me.  Kudos to Minnah! =P</span><div></div>

[Shirodan]

<P>A very witty and clever way to portray your position. And i rather like your writing style :smileyhappy:</P> <P>I tip my hat to you.</P>

[Drtydog]

<DIV>Funny story and unfortunately true, at least on oggok...I finally just decided to "become my own baker".  Sucks, i know, but TS is a boring time sync and most folks don't have time for it.</DIV>

[armus5]

<P>Your narrative is certainly the best way I've seen a problem depicted. The merchant isn't the problem though, it's the system.</P> <P>I frequently turn away customers who want stuff because it's not worth the time to me to make.  I'm an alchy, and I get tons of requests for extracts. Why should I, at lvl58, make t3 extracts for 50s, when the same amount of time makes me a rare spell for 20g? Exp is nothing, coin is everything. I did an order of t5 ink two levels ago, when it was grey then, because the money was worth it. Making low level stuff though is simply a chore and not worth it. </P> <P>The solution, some seem to say, would be a batch crafting system. This has its own problems as then the lower markets will be flooded and new merchants won't be able to sell their stuff. </P> <P>I recognized the power of a provis long ago and made a lvl50 before DoF. He has made me more money than anything I've ever done. But, take heart, I never minded making t3 or t4 breads and usually kept old supplies around just for such occasions.</P>

[Xita]

<P>I love this story, more people need to reed it, excellent delivery.</P> <P> </P>

[VolgaDark]

<DIV> <P>I like the story, it’s so sad how perfectly it pins current state of crafting/market <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> So many only reach for the next “ding”. I have often wondered if adding some exp. incentive for crafters to craft “grey items” would help to even out things a little. Maybe if crafter would get little experience each time his/her product gets consumed, atuned or scribed.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Maybe then more people would be willing to craft “grey” items. Also I think it would help to bring some of the insane prices down a notch or two. Just an idea …..</P> <P>Poor little mouse, if you were on my server I would cook you stack of anything, just because you are so determined <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P></DIV>

[EtoilePirate]

<span><blockquote><hr>VolgaDark wrote:<div></div> <div> <p>I like the story, it’s so sad how perfectly it pins current state of crafting/market <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> So many only reach for the next “ding”. I have often wondered if adding some exp. incentive for crafters to craft “grey items” would help to even out things a little. Maybe if crafter would get little experience each time his/her product gets consumed, atuned or scribed.<span>  </span>Maybe then more people would be willing to craft “grey” items. Also I think it would help to bring some of the insane prices down a notch or two. Just an idea ….. </p> </div><hr></blockquote> I think two things need to get fixed in order for crafters to be more willing to work out of tier.  (1) STORAGE.  Even with a bank full of 24-slot boxes, I can't keep everything around on my tailor.  Especially because I have a box full of poisons (don't stack), and as soon as combines become bags or armor they don't stack.  I've started reducing the number of lore/useful adventuring things I keep on my person or in my bank because there's just no room for all the crafting raws.  And I'm in two of the less space-eating professions.  (My prov's bank is entirely filled with food and food raws, however.)  (2) EXPERIENCE.  For adventuring, at least there's mentoring as a way to go back and make something fun.  I spent some night last week in a very rewarding, surprisingly co-ordinated pickup group.  There were six of us, I was mentored to something in the low 40s, and we were taking out some very green x2 targets in Zek.  I got to do stuff in Zek I'd never done before, and there was a reason and a reward.  There's no crafting equivalent, as you say.  There's no reason ever to go back to the grey, when crafting.  Now in theory, there would always be people who had just started, so that there would always be a full range of products available.  But that's never really the case.  Gluts form.  And on any given server, you end up with a gap where there are no weaponsmiths between 10 and 30, or no provisioners under 20, or whatever.  And that gets to be a problem. I'm not sure what the best solution would be.  But I think it's definitely time to start planning out how to rehaul the system.</span><div></div>

[valkyrja]

<div></div>I think there needs to be some type of order system.  In this system, if you are LFW and someone contacts you to make something, an order window is opened.  The items you are to make are shown, and the money (or items for trade) you are to be payed is shown.  Very similar to the trade window we currently have.  When you complete the order, the items are automatically removed from your inventory and the coin deposited.  The items are then mailed to the buyer.  The crafter is rewarded with XP for having completed an order.  Eventually, there could maybe even be things like titles for people who have completed many orders.Oh, and to avoid exploiting this, you only get credit/XP for each buyer once every 24 hours.  This way, you can still get repeat business, yet avoid someone having a friend place order after order.<div></div><p>Message Edited by sparql on <span class=date_text>10-17-2005</span> <span class=time_text>02:03 PM</span>

[AbsentmindedMage]

Actually, something similar to the mentoring system used by adventurers would be a nice idea for crafting.  You as a higher lvl crafter could group with lower lvl crafter and make them your apprentice.  They would get a tradeskill xp bonus and you be able to gain some small xp for crafting lower items within your apprentices tradeskill range. <div></div>

[Finora]

<P>That is a sad story. Poor little Coco. But speaking as a 53 provisioner, making food takes  FOREVER, and many of us are our guild suppliers. If we are making food for the guild, there is no time for us to do many orders outside of guild and still do anything at all other than tradeskill, which while I enjoy it, I do like to get out and actually do things away from my little dungeon. </P> <P>For the record I have taken orders out of guild on occassion (any tier esp if they have the raws),  but until they make food faster to make, then there is no way I'll ever bake anything anytime for anyone. Food/drinks are the slowest products to make of any tradeskill in the standard sell package (ie a stack of food vs a spell scroll ). The only thing that even comes close is large orders of ink. Even so, I can make 7 spells from scratch (ink, paper, WORTS, everything) in less time than it takes to do just the refines for a stack of food/drink.</P> <DIV>With my armorer or sage I'll take orders for anything any tier via mail  or in person. Provo, no way.</DIV>

[Sacha]

<DIV>Thanks for all the comments. I wrote this after a very bad fortnight on Test Server trying to get some items made for a lower level alt. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It was actually never about food. The bread was just a metaphor - I have my own provisioner for that. It was armour and jewelery I was after, but the job was too large and gave no xp reward, and little monetary reward, so I had a tough time finding someone willing and able.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am not sure that it translates terribly well to the Live server situation...we have less than 100 pages of Broker items most days, yet live has several thousand. We may have up to 50 people playing on a good day. Live gets hundreds and hundreds. Try doing a /who all woodworker on Test and you'll come up disappointed. On Live you may find a dozen with the LFW tag up. It's a whole different scenario.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My main grumble was with people who were quite happy to take my help in the past, with promises of "anything you need, let me know" but who conveniently forgot when it came time to call in favours.  I was just having a moan, and hiding it behind a cute little white mouse called Coco :smileytongue:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[D-lirium]

Ahw, I felt so bad for Coco... very nicely written! =) <div></div>

[Nibbl]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Calendri wrote:<BR> <P>That is a sad story. Poor little Coco. But speaking as a 53 provisioner, making food takes  FOREVER, and many of us are our guild suppliers. If we are making food for the guild, there is no time for us to do many orders outside of guild and still do anything at all other than tradeskill, which while I enjoy it, I do like to get out and actually do things away from my little dungeon. </P> <P>For the record I have taken orders out of guild on occassion (any tier esp if they have the raws),  but until they make food faster to make, then there is no way I'll ever bake anything anytime for anyone. Food/drinks are the slowest products to make of any tradeskill in the standard sell package (ie a stack of food vs a spell scroll ). The only thing that even comes close is large orders of ink. Even so, I can make 7 spells from scratch (ink, paper, WORTS, everything) in less time than it takes to do just the refines for a stack of food/drink.</P> <DIV>With my armorer or sage I'll take orders for anything any tier via mail  or in person. Provo, no way.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><FONT size=3>I find making food faster then any other profession, however its still slow <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I can make food right away with no subs at the start of any tier, this is not true for sages or jewelers. The lower tier food isn’t as good, but it can be made right away <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Many of the subs can be bought right off the merchants, wish this could be done for sages <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></FONT></DIV>

[Buckminster]

<span><blockquote><hr>Exp is nothing, coin is everything. <div></div><hr></blockquote></span> What's really sad is that this viewpoint is not the exception, but the rule.

[Edyil]

<P>Great great story and well written <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Personally, I have never purchased player made food or drink and I never plan to do so.  The price for consumable is just rediculous.  Like others, I don't really blame any one particular.  It's the system, man.</P> <P>Anyway, great story <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I enjoyed reading it.</P>

[SGho]

<P><makes some nice cheese sandwiches for you></P> <P>Heartbreaking...but too true <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>

[Magic]

<DIV> <P>A wonderfully written story!  I would imagine that you could, or already, make money writing children's stories in real life.</P> <P>In my opinion, the tradeskill system needs to be modified to make it more appealing for me to produce anything for anyone besides myself, especially for making trivial items.   I don't care whether or not they put XP on trivial combines.  What I care about is the TIME it takes to do the combines and my need to watch it like a hawk and react to it every time.  What a pain in the neck that is.</P> <P>I vote that they make the progress bar move 'progressively' faster (sorry for the pun), and the bad incidents become less frequent, as your skills increase.  Maybe make tradeskill XP level regulate the error frequency/chance and make the speed determined by your skill list level.  For balance, I suppose that high level combines should take longer to complete and have many more problems to counter.  Like killing mobs, greys are easy and may not need much effort while red mobs are far more difficult.</P></DIV>

[thepriz]

I could understand how it would be frustrating when you can't find what you want. It must be even more frustrating that people who said they would do things for you did not have the integrity to do it. I also understand how hard it is for tradeskillers to make things that are way below their level. I am a roleplayer and I will make things if I am looking for work and someone asks me to make it for them. Just becasue I can now make the exotic breads does not mean I have forgotten how to make a white loaf of bread. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <div></div>

[kell_the_kyuss]

Bravo and Kudos..a fine read it is.  Claps for the scribe's writing.

[Vulking]

<P>I like this story.  </P> <P> </P> <P>Its sad but so true.  I have always thought that it would be nice if crafting wasn't just a race to get to the next tier of goods.  Perhaps if it was more integrated with the lower tiers.  Such as, in order to make that uber recipe, you needed ingredients and created goods from from previous tiers.  I know provisioners currently have this but It would be nice if some existed in other crafting realms too.  Ie.. to make that cobalt weapon or armor you needed alloy ingredents of carbonite and tin that could only come from a final combine.  Or for woodworker you could make that ironwood bow but you needed resins from elm and briarwood, that could only come from that final combine.  Not sure on all the details, but it would maybe provide incentives for higher level crafters to create goods for lower level characters.</P> <P>Maybe the notion that these items are created by up and coming crafters needs to be revisited.</P>

[EtoilePirate]

<span><blockquote><hr>Hammarus wrote:<p>Such as, in order to make that uber recipe, you needed ingredients and created goods from from previous tiers.  I know provisioners currently have this but It would be nice if some existed in other crafting realms too.  Ie.. to make that cobalt weapon or armor you needed alloy ingredents of carbonite and tin that could only come from a final combine.  Or for woodworker you could make that ironwood bow but you needed resins from elm and briarwood, that could only come from that final combine. </p><hr></blockquote> That would suck SO much.  It's bad enough keeping WORTs and raws on hand, but they take up so much space, adn they all require different fuels and they're such a pain to make!  I'd go crazy if I needed to have T2 and T3 things on me and in progress in order to make a T4, T5, or T6 item.  They'd really need to address storage first, before they ever thought of implementing something like that.  Even getting all sandalwood boxes for my bank wouldn't help nearly enough to make that kind of thing less painful, and I'm sure plenty of outfitters and craftsmen would feel the same way.</span><div></div>

[Vulking]

<DIV>__________________________________________</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>EtoilePB wrote:</DIV> <DIV> <HR> Hammarus wrote:<BR> <P>Such as, in order to make that uber recipe, you needed ingredients and created goods from from previous tiers.  I know provisioners currently have this but It would be nice if some existed in other crafting realms too.  Ie.. to make that cobalt weapon or armor you needed alloy ingredents of carbonite and tin that could only come from a final combine.  Or for woodworker you could make that ironwood bow but you needed resins from elm and briarwood, that could only come from that final combine.<BR></P></DIV> <DIV>__________________________________________</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>That would suck SO much.  It's bad enough keeping WORTs and raws on hand, but they take up so much space, adn they all require different fuels and they're such a pain to make!  I'd go crazy if I needed to have T2 and T3 things on me and in progress in order to make a T4, T5, or T6 item.  They'd really need to address storage first, before they ever thought of implementing something like that.  Even getting all sandalwood boxes for my bank wouldn't help nearly enough to make that kind of thing less painful, and I'm sure plenty of outfitters and craftsmen would feel the same way.<BR></DIV> <DIV>__________________________________________</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00>I agree storage would be an issue, but I mean really, why do you craft?  Because its easy? Hardly.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00>I craft for the enjoyment of making things,  I HATE with a PASSION the grind of crafting out 1000 pieces of this and 1000 pieces of that.  I would think that if the process were more involved and it took longer to  create that perfect weapon or piece of armor or GOD FORBID that perfect Set of armor it would be much more enjoyable.  Get rid of the exp gained from grinding out thousands of components and make the  experience gained from doing that uber craft much  much greater, it would be worth it.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00>I think I would find crafting a  set of unique armor or a set of unique weapons where by the process of creation is much longer and that gave me the same exp as grinding out 1000 pieces of this and 1000 pieces of that, much more interesting.  Thats what I am suggesting, by saying use T1-T5 components in that T6 armor.</FONT></DIV><FONT color=#66cc00></FONT> <DIV><BR>By making crafting more interesting you please me by taking away the boring nature of crafting 1000s of the same thing.  A by-product of this is that you happen to create goods for all levels of play.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Here is a potential example<EM><img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />granted its a little chaotic but it suits my intent)</EM></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><U><FONT color=#ffff00><STRONG>Cobalt Battle Axe of Wrath</STRONG></FONT></U>  stats: (whatever uber stats you want)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ingredients:    2 cobalt clusters + 6 mezo tempor + 6 T6 coal  =  <FONT color=#6666ff>2 cobalt bars</FONT></DIV> <DIV>                       5 tin + 5 fulginate + 3 iron + 2 tempors from each tier + 2 T6 coal  =  <FONT color=#6666ff>2 alloy </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>                       2 T1 sword + 2 T2 axe + 1 T6 coal (melted down) = <FONT color=#6666ff>chance to get a piece of flux (the more successful you </FONT><FONT color=#6666ff>counter</FONT><FONT color=#6666ff> reactions, the more likely you will get a piece, this battles </FONT><FONT color=#6666ff>macros).</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>                       T1 thru T6 metal shavings are a byproduct of normal weapon creation and are uncommon (ie like</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>                      the way we get rares off combines now</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#6666ff>1 cobalt bar + 1 alloy + 1 flux + T2 iron shavings = </FONT><FONT color=#ff0000> Wrath Cobalt Blade</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000><FONT color=#6666ff>1 cobalt bar + 1 alloy + 1 flux + (byproduct of jeweler)=</FONT> Wrath Pommel</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#6666ff>(same for shaft via woodworking)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#6666ff>(same for hilt via weaving)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#6666ff></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#6666ff><FONT color=#ff0000>Wrath Cobalt Blade + Wrath Pommel + Hilt + Shaft + imbue(could be a special imbue too a combination of all tiers) =</FONT> </FONT><FONT color=#ffff00><STRONG>Cobalt Battle Axe of Wrath</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ffff00></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ffff00>The XP gained from this weapon creation = that of crafting out 1000 pristine indium bars + 1000 pristine indium blades</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ffff00></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#66cc00>all im suggesting is that crafting become more interesting and at the same time make something usefull for tiers that have been abandoned.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P><SPAN class=time_text></SPAN> </P> <P>Message Edited by Hammarus on <SPAN class=date_text>10-21-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:19 AM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by Hammarus on <span class=date_text>10-21-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:21 AM</span>

[Vulking]

Another thought on this is that you could craft that special weapon and its a dual wield, if you craft its sister weapon there is a bonus granted to damage.  The same could be said about armor.  Collect a complete set and you get a bonus.  Or hell, you quest for some uber item that in combination with a crafted piece you........ well you get the picture.

[armus5]

<BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Exp is nothing, coin is everything.  <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/view_profile?user.id=145369" target=top><SPAN>Buckminster</SPAN></A> wrote:<BR><BR>What's really sad is that this viewpoint is not the exception, but the rule. <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <P> </P> <P>Of course it's the rule. Crafters don't craft for fun. Heck the system is utterly boring. I can't tell you how many times I get /tells for tier2 extracts and I'm a lvl60 alchy.</P> <P>Now I have found the sollution, minimum pricing. To get me to do anything, there's a service charge of 5g. I reduce all my prices by 5g with a minimum of 0g. So now if you want a t6 spell from me it's 15g + 5g service charge, or 20g. Which is what I was charging to begin with. But t2 crap is also 5g each. Because I don't want that business. There has got to be alot of lvl 15s out there that would love the exp and money from making an extract. People just have a silly idea about running to the highest lvl to get something.</P> <P>And like Coco, the ultimate solution if you want something is to make it yourself. Otherwise be prepared to be at the whim of the crafter. We craft for our sakes, not yours.</P>