SF Crafting Impressions

[Deson]

<p> </p><p>First off, wonderful job so far. I like the shift in harvesting and jewelcraft and for someone without great gear entering the tier, a lot of the gear plays great filler.</p> <p>Handcrafted is useless still. I'd consider informally changing it to appearance gear and working that end with no regard to stats.</p> <p>Weaponsmith: I've already written off weapons, this expansion doesn't change things. Best feedback I can offer here short of a system change that allows us to imbue/bless any weapon is as follows:</p> <ul ><li> Change the caster daggers/spears/swords to caster stats. Even if the intent was to allow melee casters an option, melee caster AA takes care of most everything already and a melee caster is still going to be casting. </li><li> Change blessing to +ability and add Combat Arts to the proc. There is no point having blessed weapons that will never be used and it would increase the sell point beyond just casters. </li><li> Kunark faction recipes need a slight adjustment due to consolidated stats. Since the rager and archer stones duplicate each other, I'd say switch ragers to crit bonus and either flurry, AE auto attack or haste </li></ul> <p>Woodworker: First things first, stacking totems. I'd say explosive arrows but I hear rumor those exist (besides the Ranger AA)</p> <ul ><li> Weapons are the same feedback as with weaponsmiths.</li><li> Totems are generally good but the lack of stacking puts a serious strain on space when trying to stock up. Totems should be restricted to level 30 at the highest or just have the level blocks removed.</li><li> Enduring spirit totem needs to have the water walk removed from it. Defilers have this as a spell and in my personal experience, it does more harm than good and generally annoys everyone. If there is to be a water walk totem, it should be separate. Also the level restriction is entirely too high. </li><li> Di'zok Emblazoned Buckler needs changed. RoK era Warrior changes and stat consolidation have made this item virtually useless. The stats don't benefit priests and there are no more buckler warriors. </li><li> Rilissian Trooper Round Shield has more int than agi.</li><li> Rilissian Elite Targ Shield is a kite shield with sta and int. Stats are worthless post consolidation. </li><li> Di'zok Ceremonial Round Shield lacks agi. </li><li> Di'Zok Bow of Flame has 50 int, 25 str, no agi. </li></ul> <p>Armorer: Overall actually pretty good. A great opportunity has been missed however in gear thought since with stat consolidation plate and chain can be fairly universal.</p> <ul ><li> For Vanguard and Tower shields, it may be time to rethink the imbue procs to a more defensive minded one like a ward.</li><li> Plate sets, excepting defense, works across all plate class lines. Add str/wis to the sets missing them and you have easy gear sets for all the classes since the blue effects are desired by every class that can wear it.</li><li> Same feedback really for chain. Add agi/wis to all the sets that need them and you have a solid set for any class. </li><li> Battlement 623 Targ shield has int, no str. If switched to int, it dupes the tower so, suggest making it more offensive overall. </li><li> Di'zok Emblazoned plate set has int on it, now useless.</li><li> Rilissian Trooper chain works, but the wis is a little lower than the agi</li></ul> <p>Tailor:</p> <ul ><li> Leather armor, same feedback really as the armorer; just add str/wis. The melee clothing would work well for melee druids and fill a long standing gear gap.</li><li> Hex dolls are still meh. The recast is still way too long, the 1% crit chance staying 1% offers little incentive to upgrade and really it'd be nice for a proc version of the dolls not unlike wands vs. imbues/blessings. </li></ul> <p>Jeweler: Love the changing effects with imbues</p> <ul ><li> RoK faction recipes could use another look since the stat consolidation leaves them odd looking; only the Sathirian legion pieces have agility and they suck. </li><li> Brellium idol compares in no way shape or form to other symbol options unless you're really overvaluing the +ability mod. Brellium idol is 1.6 potency plus 1k ward proc, spotted tome is 5.7 crit and 1 potency, etc. Everything completely dominates the idol.</li><li> Brellium melee bands should be considered for a straight 30 stat line. With stat consolidation, the str/agi is less of a balance point and as the imbues for str/agi are desirable haste and dps procs, either melee class should want them. I'd argue wis should be added too for melee priests as well. </li><li> Brellium caster bands continue to be meh compared to the melee bands. I'm not a serious parser so maybe it works out as + accuracy but how I currently see it, the caster bands need a rethink on the scale of blessings and imbues.</li></ul> <p>Alchemists: I'm still not liking the dust model. Frags seem a perfectly valid and plentiful substitute and now everyone can transmute but, it's not free like regular harvests. Combined with chronomagic, it's a plentiful source of raws that doesn't require forced production of spells.</p> <ul ><li> Cure potions are on a universal cool down. Is there a reason we can't get a panacea pot?</li><li> Second sight and Tactics are now redundant. Suggest a change to potency or crit bonus.</li></ul> <p>Sage: Still just makes scrolls but oh well.</p> <ul ><li> Sathirian Scrolls are redundant after crit consolidation. As the Weaponsmith already covers crit related effects, I'd say sages would be better moved to +ability damage and + reuse. In any case, for both weaponsmiths and sages, the class restrictions should be removed.</li></ul> <p>Provisioner:</p> <ul ><li> Beyond the curiosity of agi+int and str+int drinks, nothing stands out. They are still useful but look a little odd post stat consolidation. </li></ul> <p>Carpenter:</p> <ul ><li> Strong boxes vs. bags still leaves boxes the clear loser. People may still use boxes however, there is no reason to. While not the most pressing or concerns, there should be some advantage to boxes. </li><li> I would still like to see a recipe that allows reduced broker commissions and feel this has been missing since the vet display cases went in.</li></ul>

[Deveryn]

<p>Boxes and bags are pretty much even since they made the box weight 10. The only people with a problem are the low levels with low strength. Most people probably use boxes for bank storage anyway. I don't see a need for any kind of change, but I'm curious about what you would propose.</p><p>Sales crates placed in a house negate commission when a buyer visits the seller's house. This presents something of a challenge in certain areas for certain people, but that's life in Norrath.</p>

[Deson]

<p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Boxes and bags are pretty much even since they made the box weight 10. The only people with a problem are the low levels with low strength. Most people probably use boxes for bank storage anyway. I don't see a need for any kind of change, but I'm curious about what you would propose.</p><p>Sales crates placed in a house negate commission when a buyer visits the seller's house. This presents something of a challenge in certain areas for certain people, but that's life in Norrath.</p></blockquote><p>We had a thread about boxes when the changes happened so this, like stacking totems was just a,"hey, this is still a request". Domino has already commented on both issues but I like to keep them current.</p><p>Sales crates are fine but I've never been comfortable with the vet display case. With so much plat washing around Norrath, it's cheaper to just pay the commision if it's under 5p since in the time I took moving and finding someone's house, I can be out getting a solid killing session going. In this environment, the vet display case is huge and there should be an equivalent in game even if it is expensive.</p>

[Deveryn]

<p><cite>Deson wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Boxes and bags are pretty much even since they made the box weight 10. The only people with a problem are the low levels with low strength. Most people probably use boxes for bank storage anyway. I don't see a need for any kind of change, but I'm curious about what you would propose.</p><p>Sales crates placed in a house negate commission when a buyer visits the seller's house. This presents something of a challenge in certain areas for certain people, but that's life in Norrath.</p></blockquote><p>We had a thread about boxes when the changes happened so this, like stacking totems was just a,"hey, this is still a request". Domino has already commented on both issues but I like to keep them current.</p><p>Sales crates are fine but I've never been comfortable with the vet display case. With so much plat washing around Norrath, it's cheaper to just pay the commision if it's under 5p since in the time I took moving and finding someone's house, I can be out getting a solid killing session going. In this environment, the vet display case is huge and there should be an equivalent in game even if it is expensive.</p></blockquote><p>A vet display case you can buy like that defeats the purpose of the vet reward. Since the only other case has been a LoN card drop (30 slot, 25% commission discount), you can probably expect to pay some real money for anything equivalent to the 3 year reward.</p>

[Deson]

<p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deson wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Boxes and bags are pretty much even since they made the box weight 10. The only people with a problem are the low levels with low strength. Most people probably use boxes for bank storage anyway. I don't see a need for any kind of change, but I'm curious about what you would propose.</p><p>Sales crates placed in a house negate commission when a buyer visits the seller's house. This presents something of a challenge in certain areas for certain people, but that's life in Norrath.</p></blockquote><p>We had a thread about boxes when the changes happened so this, like stacking totems was just a,"hey, this is still a request". Domino has already commented on both issues but I like to keep them current.</p><p>Sales crates are fine but I've never been comfortable with the vet display case. With so much plat washing around Norrath, it's cheaper to just pay the commision if it's under 5p since in the time I took moving and finding someone's house, I can be out getting a solid killing session going. In this environment, the vet display case is huge and there should be an equivalent in game even if it is expensive.</p></blockquote><p>A vet display case you can buy like that defeats the purpose of the vet reward. Since the only other case has been a LoN card drop (30 slot, 25% commission discount), you can probably expect to pay some real money for anything equivalent to the 3 year reward.</p></blockquote><p>I doubt they'll do something that comes across as a blatant money grab. As to the vet reward being "defeated" it's free; saying a proper in game option defeats the point is like saying tailored backpacks defeat the point of the bags also given as vet rewards.Of course, I never liked them and even as a launch player feedbacked that they were a bad idea that tiered the in-game economy so I'm very biased.</p><p>Totem response linked <a rel="nofollow" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=0&topic_id=446164�" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...64�</a></p><p>Looking for the bags one but search sucks. I'll edit it in when I find it.</p><p>Edit:Of course as I posted that, I remembered why I had a habit of posting in "important" threads</p><p>Bags discussion <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=462256" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=462256</a></p>

[Meirril]

<p><cite>Deson wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deson wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Boxes and bags are pretty much even since they made the box weight 10. The only people with a problem are the low levels with low strength. Most people probably use boxes for bank storage anyway. I don't see a need for any kind of change, but I'm curious about what you would propose.</p><p>Sales crates placed in a house negate commission when a buyer visits the seller's house. This presents something of a challenge in certain areas for certain people, but that's life in Norrath.</p></blockquote><p>We had a thread about boxes when the changes happened so this, like stacking totems was just a,"hey, this is still a request". Domino has already commented on both issues but I like to keep them current.</p><p>Sales crates are fine but I've never been comfortable with the vet display case. With so much plat washing around Norrath, it's cheaper to just pay the commision if it's under 5p since in the time I took moving and finding someone's house, I can be out getting a solid killing session going. In this environment, the vet display case is huge and there should be an equivalent in game even if it is expensive.</p></blockquote><p>A vet display case you can buy like that defeats the purpose of the vet reward. Since the only other case has been a LoN card drop (30 slot, 25% commission discount), you can probably expect to pay some real money for anything equivalent to the 3 year reward.</p></blockquote><p>I doubt they'll do something that comes across as a blatant money grab. As to the vet reward being "defeated" it's free; saying a proper in game option defeats the point is like saying tailored backpacks defeat the point of the bags also given as vet rewards.Of course, I never liked them and even as a launch player feedbacked that they were a bad idea that tiered the in-game economy so I'm very biased.</p><p>Totem response linked <a rel="nofollow" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=0&topic_id=446164�" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...64�</a></p><p>Looking for the bags one but search sucks. I'll edit it in when I find it.</p><p>Edit:Of course as I posted that, I remembered why I had a habit of posting in "important" threads</p><p>Bags discussion <a rel="nofollow" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=462256" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=462256</a></p></blockquote><p>Honestly any alternative means of gaining a commission reducing container shouldn't be crafted. Just how does that get ballanced out in the long run? Right now, you have a one per character vetran reward which keeps the benifit even(ish) across the board. There is an LoN reward that does the same thing but it isn't like you can stack them up on a single character.</p><p>If another similar container was going to be introduced, it should be a non-repeatable quest. This just doesn't strike me as something that should be craftable. Maybe as a mid 40's signature quest? This shouldn't even be top tier content.</p>

[Arastir]

<p>Deson, your arguement about veteran reward bags is very flawed.  Those are 12 slot bags, which in no way compare to the bags made from even common harvests.  I'm a tailor, so I don't even claim those on my alts anymore.  The veteran's display case is not something that is easily replaced by a crafted item, nor should it be.  Put in the time and you'll get one.  The only people complaining about the veteran's display case are the people that don't have them <em>YET</em>.  IMO if they give in on making even one of the veteran rewards=a craftable item, then they're setting themselves up for people asking for craftable vitality items and such, like the 5 and 6 year rewards.  Let's not even get into the Call of the Veteran discussion.</p>

[Eugam]

<p>Most of what i have seen is useless junk. Sorry to say it...</p><p>I liked the symbol and crafted one. I even adorned it. I am not really an instance farmer. I just went to the hole for mercury and one mission. Then to the library and to the research halls and already upgraded the symbol twice.</p><p>If crafted wants to be worth anything then it needs rare stats like reuse timer reduction and crit multiplier, maybe some potency. Crit and ability mod is nothing, you get them a dozend a dime. Personally my warden is already at 113% crit and i d love to trade crit for reuse timer reduction and, above all, crit multiplier.</p><p>And anything needs resits added, just like the added resists to the token armor in a past release patch.</p>

[Deson]

<p><cite>Arastir wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Deson, your arguement about veteran reward bags is very flawed.  Those are 12 slot bags, which in no way compare to the bags made from even common harvests.  I'm a tailor, so I don't even claim those on my alts anymore.  The veteran's display case is not something that is easily replaced by a crafted item, nor should it be.  Put in the time and you'll get one.  The only people complaining about the veteran's display case are the people that don't have them <em>YET</em>.  IMO if they give in on making even one of the veteran rewards=a craftable item, then they're setting themselves up for people asking for craftable vitality items and such, like the 5 and 6 year rewards.  Let's not even get into the Call of the Veteran discussion.</p></blockquote><p>I'm a launch player and I use all 10 of mine to undercut anyone who doesn't have one in any market I choose to enter; no one is going to compete with me without losing money. I don't like items that create unfair competition but I'd be stupid not to use them. The very fact that I have an advantage in a directly competitive space that cannot be overcome by player effort is a serious design flaw and has been my complaint since the item was announced. There should not be entrenched direct competitve advantages.</p><p>Your extension of the comparison is absurd. There is no direct competition for xp gain, it's already insanely fast as is and there is a station cash option so at worst it's SOE giving vets "cash back" rewards.  As far as Call of the Vet, again, no in- game competition and since it can be used by the vet on others, it's a proper reward in every sense.</p><p>The Vet case would still be free. It would still be an extra sales container in a space where only the hardcore sellers use more than two midsized sales displays. Vets lose nothing but a remarkably unfair market advantage with a proper in game means of acquisition. Adding them was a foolish idea just like pushing the crafter xp bauble  a year behind the adventure xp and I'm not going to make it out as sacred just because I'm been here since the start and will always have the advantages.</p>