the eeeeeevil chemistry table

[Hur]

Even before lu24 and the death of subs, this table has been the bane of all my existance. I refer of course, to the rate of failure/critical failures using this gnomish torture device.  even grey recipies I can count on a handful of failures and am not at all suprised to see a critical failure.I can only imagine a mad scientist hard at work, with his poor lab assistant following him faithfully to correct all the errors in mixtures and temprature settings, and even then the occasional *BOOM* is still heard when the poor assistant isnt quick enough."Nothing must interrupt my work!!!" cries the mad scientist, as he cranks the gas feed up to full, which of course causes the caustic liqued to start to boil and boil over,if not for the faithful assistant's quick action in turn down the gas once the scientist moves on to the next area of his lab.please, help the poor overworked assistants... check what is up with these evil devices that they log failures far more often than other tradeskill devices... <div></div>

[Rukar]

<DIV>I can't say that I've had the same experience as you've had at the chemistry table. I'm a 64 Alchemist, and I've rarely (and I mean rarely) had the kind of trouble you're describing. And I've made everything in my book that I can make at the table. Sure, I'll get the occasional failure/critical failure, but it's nothing that I haven't been able to recover after a couple of ticks. If anything, I find I have more trouble on the Forge on my Armorer and Weaponsmith. But that's just me. I'm sure everyone has their favourite/least favourite crafting apparatus heh.</DIV>

[Ixnay]

<DIV>I have a 70 alchemist with 4 other level 70 crafters, and I use each regularly.  I don't notice any difference between them in terms of crafting mechanics, except perhaps that tailoring is the easiest and smoothest of all of them, but it always has been that way.</DIV>

[Rast]

I've always had that with the table saw...  I think different people have issues with different tables tbh...  My wife can sit down (using the techniques I taught her) and breeze through the saw, I sit down there and have trouble making shaped... <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Rattfa]

I get failures left right and centre, on the forge, the food...thing and....erm jewelers thingyits frustrating <span>:smileysad: especially i have no problem getting uber amounts of critical sucesses on the scholars desk</span><div></div>

[thebunny]

I'm only up to level 40 on both my crafters, but I've always had more trouble on the chemistry table than the work bench (the jeweler thing).

[nailhead]

<DIV>I tend to find that you need to have a different crafting technique depending on what profession you are.  Very rarely do I have a problem with the chemistry bench, I am more likely to have issues with the forge.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I also find you get some days that nothing works, so I tend just to give up. ( makes you wonder if SoE has a cap on the manufacture of certain goods)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Calthine]

<P>My first thought is:  Are your skills at or near your cap?  Letting your skills slip well below thier cap will definately give you a hard time achieving Pristine.  </P> <P>Here's me posting my favorite How to Get Pristine links.  Hope someone finds them useful.</P> <UL> <LI><A href="http://eq2.crgaming.com/viewarticle.asp?Article=10742" target=_blank><STRONG><FONT color=#c8c1b5>Tradeskill Arts Guide</FONT></STRONG></A> - at Caster's Realm.  How to use those Arts/Counters</LI> <LI><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=general_tradeskill&message.id=68052" target=_blank><STRONG><FONT color=#c8c1b5>How Do I Get Pristine!?!</FONT></STRONG></A><STRONG><U> </U></STRONG>- Here's one discussion that seemed to help a lot of people.</LI> <LI><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=a7&message.id=4372" target=_blank><STRONG><FONT color=#c8c1b5>Pristine - How to get it (almost) every time</FONT></STRONG></A> - While it's pointed at metalshaping, it's great advice for any class.  Kind of Part 2 to the above link.</LI></UL>

[Iari111]

Hmm I have a 60-something alchemist.  I have not really noticed this problem much on the chem table.  In fact I've always thought it was the most reliable crafting station.  My worst ones are the forge.. hate the forge..  and, oddly enough, the stove and keg.  I have very bad luck with that one.I have noticed with all of the stations, however, a strange kind of lag.  I hit the right button, but it doesn't "catch" if ya know what I mean.<div></div>

[standupwookie]

The first thing is that you need your skills near their max for that level.  Even a difference of 10 can be noticable.  Also, try to get the best power regen VS power cost.  That might mean taking off your equipment and putting on all your FT, also use a drink and even a power totem. I get pristine on everything past level 30.  The first tier is tough because you have no durability buffs, only progress.  The next tier is a little better.  Level 20-30 is a bit tough because your only durabiity buffs are level 10...and those will be grey, meaning you will not get skill increases. At level 30, everything changes.  You get a nice new set of durability buffs and you can forever spam them and get skill increases. I tend to always spam either progress or durability (the non power ones).  There is a certain rthymn that you can "feel" that wont cause you to miss the counters.  When you get good enough, you rarely fall below 1/4 on the last bar on anything.

[Gorhauth]

<div></div>I have a 70 alchemist that has to TRY to not get a pristine.  My provisioner is a lot better at getting pristine after the update, before it was about 75%. My weaponsmith however, holy (*&@%.  I can pretty much guarantee to not get a pristine with him, ever.  Even recipes that are 10 levels lower than him can get at least 2 critical failures in a row.  That is the norm and not the exception.  I believe I have managed five pristine combines through his first 30 levels.  It isn't from lack of knowledge or using the durability counters, it is just the RNG hates him at the crafting table.  One thing I did notice is if I have a string of really bad luck, like two totally failed combines in a row, is that logging out (generally out of frustration <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />) and waiting a bit before trying again seems to help.  After that, I can usually get to the third bar consistently.  I gave up crafting with him a looooooong time ago.  I wonder if he's improved since LU24 (except for being a weaponsmith <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />).<div></div>

[Rijacki]

<blockquote><hr>Hurk_ wrote:I can only imagine a mad scientist hard at work, with his poor lab assistant following him faithfully to correct all the errors in mixtures and temprature settings, and even then the occasional *BOOM* is still heard when the poor assistant isnt quick enough."Nothing must interrupt my work!!!" cries the mad scientist, as he cranks the gas feed up to full, which of course causes the caustic liqued to start to boil and boil over,if not for the faithful assistant's quick action in turn down the gas once the scientist moves on to the next area of his lab.<div></div><hr></blockquote>This, I think, describes Rijacki oh too well... 'cept the assistant part, unless you count the little gargoyle running around with a rumbly flap of his little wings.  Yes, stone is good in an assistant with a volitile wizard/alchemist *nod* But... as a player, I sometimes don't pay attention to combines and haven't had them be -that- bad.  I've died fewer times to alchemy (and was completely shocked when I did) than to other crafting tables.. I do have to worry some on -some- combines (not every recipe is exactly the same and some "fight" a bit), but I get a pretty steady stream of "critical success" and few missed reactions (unless I am not paying 100% attention.. worse in the WROT days).  But... I've only gotten a "Favor of" twice (once before the reward was fixed and working, of course) and "Flawless" less than a handful.. but.. I get "Insight" at least once or twice per long session.  I've also never really had troubles getting my chemistry skill to go up, even with using grey reactives (getting thaumatuge up as a level 45+ alchemist when it was first added was a PITA, but.. even that got max'ed before it was taken out).<div></div>

[Hur]

<div></div>just to clerify for those wondering yes, my skills are maxxed.Also, this is not solely my own observation. in my guild, there is a group of players, all personal friends, and we all tradeskill and cover every tradeskill ckass in game, with the exception of the provisioner, which the rest of us envy greatly, we have had problems with the chemistry table, be it making warts back in the day, or class specific stuff like inks, or posions, etc.I personally have a carpenter, woodworker and am currently working on an alchemist, level 48 working on a level 42 spell as I write this, 2 critical failures and 8 failures. skill is 244/244 mind you the crit fails are more rare, but compared to the carpenter or woodworker, I see them far more often. im geninely suprised to see one on my woodworker, and my carpenter is 70, so I cannot recall the last time I saw one. (carpenters keys are so powerful though, that even crit fails mean nothing)generally on a tradeskill character I use 2 keys (yes i respond to complications with all keys), increase durability add failure chance, and decrease durability to increase progress. useing those keysets on every one of the crafters I have played (yes I've played them all from time to time to help people grind out a level or 2) I can get by, and generally never really risk failing a creation. for the alchemist, and for warts when they existed, It was a case of watch and be sure.<div></div><p>Message Edited by Hurk_ on <span class=date_text>07-16-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:05 PM</span>

[Thicket Tundrabog]

With eight level 70 tradeskillers (and a ninth at level 66... Lol), I haven't noticed any difference in critical failures from the various tradeskill stations.I do get damage on the forge that I don't see on other stations but that's been around for a long time.<div></div>

[masakre]

<DIV>I have not run into these issues you speak of as a 70 alchemist, but do not claim you are incorrect in your findings. One thing I suggest is to use 6 skill buttons, which has worked quite well for me. I use both the skills provided to me at 50 and 60. The level 60 skills add to progression and the level 50 skills add to durability. When you think you are going to fail, use yoru durability progression skills, mainly that pink question mark. When you are at max durability, use your progression skills to get it done quicker, mainly that pink question mark. Using your progressions skills can impact the durability, so you may have to go back on forth, depending on reactions to your actions.</DIV>