Integration of Crafting and Adventuring communities

[Ceruline]

It has been stated that the changes to the trade skill station locations has been primarily intended to try to bring the Crafting community into more contact with the Adventuring community.I definitely agree that over the past months there has been a growing disconnect between the communities.However, I substantially disagree with the cause.Adventurers are not interacting with crafters because they don't need to.  I consider myself primarily an adventurer.  The only items I get from crafters are Adept IIIs and food/drink.That really doesn't constitute much interaction, and reflects even less reliance.  There will be no significant integration of the crafting and adventuring communities unless the crafting community can provide more useful services to the adventuring community.  Armorers and Weaponsmiths are totally useless to a high level player, as easily obtained drops far outstrip even rare and imbued crafted items.As such, the incentive for adventurers to support those crafts is gone.  The incentive to cultivate a relationship with a tradeskiller so that in the future you have someone you can rely on to turn a rare into a useful item... Is gone.The current situation has little or nothing to do with WHERE tradeskillers practice their crafts, and wholly to do with the output of those crafts.  Make tradeskilled goods an important part of being an effective adventurer again, and the communities will integrate very quickly.The adventurer's interaction with crafters begins with the crafts that are most sorely in need of balancing - the outfitters and other makers of equipment.   These are the obvious things to seek out to get crafted, and serve as a "gateway drug" for consumption of other crafted goods.  Because these crafts compare so poorly to what is available to an adventurer in the field, this isn't occuring - at least not in the very well itemized T7 world.  Additionally, because even the rare items aren't particularly desireable, there is little incentive for relationship development.  If it takes a while to get that Xegonite made into shoulder armor - does it really make that much of a difference?  It's not even an upgrade over the pauldrons I found in a wooden chest while soloing in Bonemire anyhow...This is the problem that needs to be fixed.   Not the crafting locations.<div></div>

[EtoilePirate]

<div></div>/agree PondscumI rolled a provisioner, in long dark ages past, and slowly, achingly worked her up.  I found crafting to be so horrid and painful that my tailor got as far as level 28 and then just plain stopped crafting in June, 2005.Then came LU24, and all was well!  The removal of subcombines made crafting almost painless (except for needing to get roots to my provisioner, so she's still stalled out because I need all the roots for my tailor).  And lo and behold, the tailor went back into the Dark Bargainers, and started grinding out the levels.  Right now she's at about 45.There's another problem, though: I'm going to go flat broke leveling her, because no-one wants the stuff I make.  Not a soul.I keep one or two of everything in some ebony broker boxes, just in case anyone should want it.  I can't sell any T4 or T5 tailored gear.  It even takes me a few weeks to sell the backpacks.  And I sell it for 15% - 25% over cost.When I'm actively online, I either take commissions for fuel costs alone, or just plain give stuff away.  And here's what I've learned: I can't give it away.  I keep the selling items listed at cost or above, because even for half cost <b>no-one wanted it</b>.It's easy to see why; I crafted a full set of tailored leather for my Fury when she dinged 30.  And by the time she'd dinged 31 I'd tossed or vendored most of it and replaced it with superior solo-quested gear from Zek.I routinely commision a jeweler for Kella's Adept IIIs, but now that she's only got 6 CAs left that aren't Ad3 or M1 I won't even really be doing that much anymore.  For the level 70 character, I have exactly two crafted pieces of gear: imbued xegonite pants, because good chain trousers seem hard to come by, and an imbued acrylia +STR ring.  I've found a whole bunch of xegonite and considered getting one made into a pair of gloves, because my gloves are only Treasured, but the treasured drop from Sanctum (a zone easily duoed these days) had better stats.So now Im building a house full of rare furniture and for once not feeling badly about doing so (it was like blasphemy to get an ebon sconce made when 50 was the level cap, I couldn't imagine actually doing it even if friends of mine did), because nobody much wants the rares for anything else.Carpenters have work no-one else can do, especially since the addition of the T6 rare furniture items (which are beautiful).  The scholar classes are more or less okay, because there's always going to be a market for an Adept III (and as long as there are predators and rogues, alchemists can move at least a little poison).The three outfitter classes and woodworkers, though... hurting.  I haven't used a player-crafted weapon since level 44 -- and I may be a raider now (fabled gear will always trump the rest, heh), but I was not always.So I agree with Pond, and with others who have said it before: I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever for crafting, other than to hit 60 and finish my T7 Heritage Quests.<div></div><p>Message Edited by EtoilePB on <span class=date_text>09-26-2006</span> <span class=time_text>05:19 PM</span>

[ZeyGnome]

<P>Going to agree with the above sentiments.</P> <P>Also, the only reason I craft anymore is because I am a Monk and and Alchemist on Test.  If I don't make my own spells, the chances of me getting them are rare.</P> <P>If I was still on Live, I wouldn't even bother.</P> <P> </P>

[Kaknya]

Heartily agree

[Tyrusstorm]

<DIV>Very well put and I agree with the OP 100%. I love tradeskills and even though I know I wont use them past a certain level I will skill to that level to supply alts and friends visiting the game.. But thats about it.</DIV>