Interestingly enough at the Mechanics panel Domino stated that (now that she emerged dusty and exhausted from plumbing the depths of tradeskill mechanics with Silverfrost) the system is actually set up so crafting nekkid is better.  I have that recorded somewhere.... Stay tuned, I'm still plowing through notes, I have a flow chart for the mechanics of item creation from Domino.  I'm having a hard time making it a small enough picture to view without scrolling - folks might have to download it. /stands back a watches the can of worms.

Perhaps better from a min/max standpoint, but it's perfectly doable to craft fully clothed. No one wants to see a naked Gnome running around.

Just to clarify (since a one-word answer is rather limiting) ... for absolute max/min optimization, crafting nekkid works better than crafting with full adventuring equipment, due to the way reaction arts use power (a %) vs how power regens (a fixed #). But that said, it's totally not required to craft nekkid, and I never bother doing so on any of my crafters.  So take it or leave it as you wish**. <span style="font-size: xx-small">** Footnote:  unless you're a cute male halfling, and you craft in my instance. Then it's mandatory.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></span>

<p>** Footnote:  unless you're a cute male halfling, and you craft in my instance. Then it's mandatory.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I rest my case!</p>

Crafting naked is from yesteryear, when the grind/challenge used to be a little more steep than it is now, and even then I always did it in my uber gear. I don't craft naked, I do writs in under 4 minutes, and the only time I fail a pristine is when I'm distracted IRL. Using the power consuming reaction art is for people who like to play it safe... I like making stuff with just a sliver left on the pristine quality bar, but I never tell clients I 'almost' messed up their mastercrafted orders.<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

While never really craft totally naked myself I do take the time to change into my tradeskill outfit. I just don't trust the forge enough to go au natural while making armor.

<cite>Editedmind wrote:</cite><blockquote>I don't craft naked, I do writs in under 4 minutes, and the only time I fail a pristine is when I'm distracted IRL. Using the power consuming reaction art is for people who like to play it safe... I like making stuff with just a sliver left on the pristine quality bar, but I never tell clients I 'almost' messed up their mastercrafted orders.<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></blockquote>Wow, really? I can't seem to do TS writs in less than thirty minutes! What am I doing wrong? <img src="/smilies/136dd33cba83140c7ce38db096d05aed.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

I've crafted in my raid gear as a lvl 70 paladin with no real 'noticable' effects.  Yah, there is a bit of difference in power consumption, but it isn't that great a difference.  As for TS writs, I lose my BP and Legs (just to not look like an idiot crafting in plate) and leave the rest on and can do a rush writ with anywhere between 1 and 3 minutes left (in the 30s as a weaponsmith)

Morgane@Everfrost wrote: <blockquote><cite>Editedmind wrote:</cite><blockquote>I don't craft naked, I do writs in under 4 minutes, and the only time I fail a pristine is when I'm distracted IRL. Using the power consuming reaction art is for people who like to play it safe... I like making stuff with just a sliver left on the pristine quality bar, but I never tell clients I 'almost' messed up their mastercrafted orders.<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></blockquote>Wow, really? I can't seem to do TS writs in less than thirty minutes! What am I doing wrong? <img src="/smilies/136dd33cba83140c7ce38db096d05aed.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></blockquote> I can't tell for sure. It's really about cutting the corners and your sense of rhythm and reaction time. Crafting stations make a sound every now and then and I've found you can almost perfectly time it: one, two, three, chime, one, two, three, chime, one, two, three, chime... Then I usually get in the progress increasing (durability decrease, success decrease) arts before the next chime, till the durability drops below pristine where I do the same but with one or two durability increasing arts. Usually when the progress is almost complete it's either pristine or just below pristine, if it's below then spamming a few durability buffs does the trick. Try to remember to have enough fuel, raws, and make use of the recipe filters. You could also invest in a clipboard to cut the time running to the crafting station, but I've never needed one, even when I accidentally forget my fuel I can make decent time... Which leads me to believe that it's all down to the rhythm, like dancing.

<cite>Barbai wrote:</cite><blockquote>While never really craft totally naked myself I do take the time to change into my tradeskill outfit. I just don't trust the forge enough to go au natural while making armor. </blockquote> Pfffft, imagine being a Kerran next to a forge.  I'll take the armor over singed fur any day.

While crafting is fully possible, even doing writs, in full raid gear...  I tend to go for the speed aspect... you can crank out a lot more items, more writs, more xp the lower your power pool is...  So, I actually take it a step further, and usually mentor down my high level adv toons when crafting, since my crafter army is spread across 2 accounts, and make an effort to keep purely crafter toons around level 6-7 with zero stat gear... If I'm just doing a few items for an order, I don't bother with it, but it does make a big difference in what you can accomplish in an 8-10 hour crafting grind session... which I'll be going through again in just a few months, plan to have at least 3-4 crafters to 80 by the end of the first week if I can get a few days of vacation approved at work <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Bloodfang@Nagafen wrote: <blockquote><cite>Barbai wrote:</cite><blockquote>While never really craft totally naked myself I do take the time to change into my tradeskill outfit. I just don't trust the forge enough to go au natural while making armor. </blockquote> Pfffft, imagine being a Kerran next to a forge.  I'll take the armor over singed fur any day.</blockquote><p> heh, my armorer is a kerra <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  But he is only a lvl 31 pally, so not much power issues with him.</p>Gorthag wrote: <blockquote>While crafting is fully possible, even doing writs, in full raid gear...  I tend to go for the speed aspect... you can crank out a lot more items, more writs, more xp the lower your power pool is...  So, I actually take it a step further, and usually mentor down my high level adv toons when crafting, since my crafter army is spread across 2 accounts, and make an effort to keep purely crafter toons around level 6-7 with zero stat gear... If I'm just doing a few items for an order, I don't bother with it, but it does make a big difference in what you can accomplish in an 8-10 hour crafting grind session... which I'll be going through again in just a few months, plan to have at least 3-4 crafters to 80 by the end of the first week if I can get a few days of vacation approved at work <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></blockquote>I have no trouble completing things within any alloted time in full raid gear and end most combines with no less than 90% power (and those are the ones where something went wrong).  In short, power regen, even in full raid gear is a minute issue and isn't worth the headache.  At least with my gear on, I can carry my boxes <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Ilmaaaaah@Lucan DLere wrote: <blockquote>Perhaps better from a min/max standpoint, but it's perfectly doable to craft fully clothed. No one wants to see a naked Gnome running around.</blockquote> Absolutely.  There's still more than one right way. To the poster having problem completing writs in a timely manner, try this guide:  <b><a href="http://eq2flames.com/showthread.php?t=3670" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Not a Moment to Lose! A Guide for Power-Mad Speed-Crafters</a></b>

... There are so many factors here that all the "Well I do it this way, so you are wrong" type of stuff is kinda silly.  You dont NEED to use any power at all crafting. If you want to min/max , then you take all this into account. <u><b>Factors that can effect Power pool - </b></u> Adv class Gear Race bonus AA spec lvl Buffs <u><b>Factors for regen - </b></u> Drink potions totems manastone gear spells buffs grouping with power management class (wonder how channel would work). <u><b>Factors for power usage (by %) - </b></u> TS class (not all classes act the same) Art used Number of times the art is used per X amount of time (how fast do you want to make that item?)

<cite>Gorthag wrote:</cite><blockquote>So, I actually take it a step further, and usually mentor down my high level adv toons when crafting, since my crafter army is spread across 2 accounts, and make an effort to keep purely crafter toons around level 6-7 with zero stat gear... </blockquote> Try having a lvl 70 coercer with AA spec'd for power regen grouped with those lvl 6s .. over 70+ regen going to that lvl 6 = more than enought regen.

<p>The idea is that crafting naked alone isn't what makes it more productive than crafting in your full armor.  You have to be running drink from your current adventure level tier, and a totem from the same.  Since crafting is not done "in-combat", the regen from a totem and a drink in conjunction with whatever your normal regen is makes that power go back up, at least for me, at nearly the same rate as I use it.</p><p>  I can craft successfully dressed, but if I'm dug in doing a bulk potion/poison order, or converting nest drops into legendary to transmute, I get naked, put on some music and grind away.</p><p>  </p>

<cite>Editedmind wrote:</cite><blockquote> I can't tell for sure. It's really about cutting the corners and your sense of rhythm and reaction time. Crafting stations make a sound every now and then and I've found you can almost perfectly time it: one, two, three, chime, one, two, three, chime, one, two, three, chime... Then I usually get in the progress increasing (durability decrease, success decrease) arts before the next chime, till the durability drops below pristine where I do the same but with one or two durability increasing arts. Usually when the progress is almost complete it's either pristine or just below pristine, if it's below then spamming a few durability buffs does the trick. Try to remember to have enough fuel, raws, and make use of the recipe filters. You could also invest in a clipboard to cut the time running to the crafting station, but I've never needed one, even when I accidentally forget my fuel I can make decent time... Which leads me to believe that it's all down to the rhythm, like dancing. </blockquote><p>Ok... now I can't wait to get home and try this. I think I know what you mean... I too follow a sort of "rhythm". But apparently it needs work! Figures... I can't dance worth a crap, either. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

<cite>Calthine wrote:</cite><blockquote> To the poster having problem completing writs in a timely manner, try this guide:  <b><a href="http://eq2flames.com/showthread.php?t=3670" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Not a Moment to Lose! A Guide for Power-Mad Speed-Crafters</a></b></blockquote><p>Oooohhhh... nifty! Thank you thank you. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

For optimal performance to the following: Craft in the artisan tunic, you get the skill adds with no power increase. Craft with a friend who has a high end power regen: Bard or Enchanter. Be an Enchanter or Bard, opposite of what you friend is, or get another friend who is and is willing to stand around while you craft, or craft with you. Get a diety pet that gives power regen adds. Be high enough level to use decent power regen totem, and avoid workstation death strokes. Get good drink with long duration and is of refreshing quality. Wear something that gives high stamina, for those moment when you miss the high end events. Only mentor down as low as level 20 since anything lower, is going to actually be more troublesome for the power regen end of things. Wear something that gives health regen as well. Get lots of big bags. Collection quests give nice ones. Get the one from the gnome in zek as well. Smack you durability keys until durability is full then alternate cycles with progress skills. Don't bother with skills that damage progress or durability, and hit every event. Don't miss the rare events, they can sometimes complete the crafting session and often give +25 to the skill. Don't drink vodka while crafting, I have heard this causes funny things to happen, either in game or in rl, lol, though I'm not old enough to do it in rl. Foremost of all. Have fun!

Jalathan@Lucan DLere wrote: <blockquote>I've crafted in my raid gear as a lvl 70 paladin with no real 'noticable' effects.  Yah, there is a bit of difference in power consumption, but it isn't that great a difference.  As for TS writs, I lose my BP and Legs (just to not look like an idiot crafting in plate) and leave the rest on and can do a rush writ with anywhere between 1 and 3 minutes left (in the 30s as a weaponsmith) </blockquote>I look good crafting in plate

<cite>Koltran wrote:</cite><blockquote>Don't bother with skills that damage progress or durability. </blockquote> I think this is bad advice. The conversion rate is high enough that you are better off using these arts.

The Artisan tunic is so fugly...

I didnt read the entire post but for starters thank you Domino for the clarification on this <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I for one think nekkid gnomes rule <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> That and nekkid rats!

My husband crafts in full raid gear with no drink and finishes the hardest level RO's in half the time allotted with almost all his power intact (70 Ranger/70 Prov). I don't do RO's but I don't see much point in spending the time to change clothes or waste a drink either, esp with my Troub who almost always finishes quickly with a full power bar. She regens power as fast as I care to use it. But my 70 Templar does just fine too... full armor, no drink (tho she is wearing as much Flowing Thoughts as I can find, but not specifically for crafting.) I use mostly Progress with just enough Durability thrown in to get the job done. My low level PvP crafter/harvester never wore anything but a dress but that was just because I was too cheap to repair a full set of armor. She did always look nice tho; going out in nothing but underwear doesn't appeal to me. I never noticed that it was any easier to craft with her than the others. Now, if there was some nice crafting gear available I would probably change outfits, at least on my RP characters. I'm trying to get enough IFE faction for that status outfit but at 100 SP's per WO, hell will probably freeze over before I get there.

I know a few people who are constantly trying to optimize their crafting capabilities, and for all that extra work they're putting into it, it's a waste of time since they could do just as well without. I never craft with the tunic, I usually sell it because I'm lazy and don't like taking up extra space for something that might as well not even give a bonus. I don't use totems, I don't waste racial traditions on insignificant 5 points increase, and I don't always use drink... I'm a firm believer that you can get the most productivity out of crafting by your technique during the actual crafting process. Once you've got a good technique you can more or less apply it to every other tradeskill, easy and simple. Now, if they actually added exceptionally difficult recipes, or some kind of extra reward for spare time in Rush Order writs, then there might actually be a logical reason to try and enhance your maximum potential in every way possible.<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

<p>Ya know, since there's work being done on having multiple layers of armor (the visible layer), it might be nice to have a crafting layer that recalcs your stats when you start a recipe.  Then we'd also have more excuses for special caster wearables in the future <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

In terms of purely min/maxing, I could see the point. But it's not essential. I've never crafted naked on 8 crafters in Tier 6 and a baby one still in Tier 3 and all I have ever needed was a good drink and an understanding of my reaction arts. I do rush writs on them all back to back, making sure to stock up on all the supplies I'll need for a nice, long run-through. I rarely miss pristine unless I'm just not paying any attention  at all. So yes, it may be true from the min/max standpoint, but it is very much far from essential to being successful as a crafter.

Ilmaaaaah@Lucan DLere wrote: <blockquote>No one wants to see a naked Gnome running around.</blockquote>Hey!!!  What's wrong with nekkid gnomes? 

<p>Honestly if you feel the need to spam the 3 buffs for either progress or durability (you'll see only 1 of each gives you that power hit) then in a session where you're grinding you'll probably want to do what you can to lower your power pool. The reason I say this is RNG can be unfriendly at times and you'll occassionally find yourself hitting the buff that gives a hit to power at each round (you'll will more than likely lose more power than regen it back per round when fully decked in gear).</p>

<p><span style="color: #00cc00">Hmmm Time for either Crafting outfits that have +tradeskill and, + vs Reaction damage. <i>(Sometimes I miss the reaction due to hitting tha other one at the moment it pops lol)</i> <b>OR</b> when we craft Nekkid we actually <b>LOOK</b> nekid! </span></p><p><span style="color: #00cc00">Jewelers can look like jewelers, Provisioners cooks, weaponssmiths look like the visit a forge.</span></p>