any news/ previeuws from tradeskill apprentices?

[Caethre]

Banditman wrote:

The problem with that arguement is that anything less than endgame content is far too transient to support the items in question.  Endgame is clearly where SOE wants the bulk of the population.

For the sake of arguement, let's say that SOE simply GIVES every crafter these new recipes on the day of release.  How many T9 items are going to get made as soon as people log in?  Answer:  none!  We still won't have the rare components necessary to make a single thing.

Now, let's continue to play this silly game of "I have all the recipes immediately".

I'm a new player, leveling up.  I browse the broker looking for gear.  How many of these downtier items are going to exist on the broker for me to peruse and even know I can acquire?  Answer:  none!  Once again, the crafter still needs to procure the rare components.  RARE, DOWNTIER components.  How many crafters are going to speculatively create an item if they were to get their hands on one of these components?  Answer:  none!

It's all smoke and mirrors tbh.  "Hey, look, we're giving crafters some cool things to craft!"  Yes, absolutely.  The items look great.  Unfortunately, the supply of these items is going to be so restricted that for all intents and purposes, they simply won't exist.

You need to look no further than the current crop of Fabled Mastercrafted items to see this.  How many of these ITEMS (not the raw components mind you) exist on the broker?  VERY VERY FEW.  The items are FAR too gated.  The actual ability to make these items is gated behind ANOTHER time limit enforced faction grind.  The supply of raw materials is dreadfully low.  Thus, the items are very rarely seen in circulation.

Smoke and mirrors.  Sure, it's there.  Good luck making the stars align right for the items to be created.

(( Wow this is so overly negative, it sounds like you need a break from the game, frankly.

I like the way these things have been and are being introduced. They are being done exactly as I would do it were it my call. Make people wait and throttle the advancement rate to stop those who can spend 12+ hours a day gaming from completing the new recipes, etc, too quickly.

I especially loved the way the Prayer Shawl was added back with DoV. The server discoveries for the shawls were weeks after the release under which they were added, and that was wonderful - much better than it all being "done" 4.5 hours after the servers come up. Or even 44.5 hours. I prefer a system that rewards regular dedication over an extended period, to one that just rewards someone sitting at a PC for 48 hours straight or whatever.

The Prayer Shawl was done in a lovely way, in my opinion. I'd love to see more content throttled in that way too. The "impatient" should just be made to learn patience. It is a virtue, you know. ))

[Caethre]

Banditman wrote:

There is far too much artificial postponement going on here.  If I wanted to grind a crafter from 1 to 90 in a weekend, I could do it.  There is no artificial roadblock to prevent me from obtaining all of those levels and recipes.

Why is this any different?

(( Wow I am so glad you are not doing itemization and mechanics, you would be far worse than those you criticize.

Let me predict, if I played the argument "If I wanted to buy a full set of HM raidgear on the marketplace in a weekend, to avoid some artificial roadblock forcing me to raid, I should be able to do it", you would be against that, right? Because that would completely trivialize and marginalize your playstyle, indeed, make it almost pointless?

I am 100% diametrically opposed to your position here. In this post, you sound like an "entitlement fanatic", one of those people who wants it all "NOW NOW NOW".

Well thankfully, SOE will make us all wait for it, and earn it by dedicatedly tending to our tradeskill apprentices on a daily basis if we want it a little faster. This is a much better way of delivering items and abilities to us, as it rewards patience and not greed. Just my opinion.

Maybe some day they will even change top-tier levelling speed to be throttled as well, I would like that too - the fact that players can hit the new level cap only hours after a level cap raise is diminishing the achievement, it would be better if it took weeks, not hours. Oh well, maybe some day. ))

[WanyenII]

/veto

Even as casual as I am now, I fully appreciate the impact of and despise the stone cold time lock throttles, no matter if it is a crafting or adventuring task -- at least to the significant degree that they are currently employed THROUGHOUT.  A little bit instead of everywhere for everything would go along way towards my opinion of time locked tasks.

The tasks/factions/progress meters/related npc's shouldn't be vending machines, but for Inorruk's sakes, a little creativity or reasoning about what a design is intended to accomplish and the likely implication is necessary if you want it to be remotely fun.. instead of a daily chore, like taking the garbage out or doing the dishes -- something that has to be done, or you definately will not move forward.

Clearly the purpose of time lock/period task throttling is to prevent intense players from reaching some destination no earlier than date-X.  The secondary purpose is to show some kind of committment by the character to the process, in this case tradeskill apprentices.  Committment to the process however is the secondary purpose, otherwise, the time lock would be completely unnecessary and not included.  If committment by the character to the process was the primary intent, they could simply do either of the following: lower the reward, or increase the difficulty of the tasks to defer/deter the velocity a player assumes in aiming for some achievement.

Now if there was an in-game method to effectively reset or significantly reduce the time lock (not just by a small fraction, but significant .. like the majority of the lock), through perhaps a secondary task; perhaps that would be an appropriate compromise, and the primary purpose wouldn't be so strongly tilted towards simply preventing the most intense players from achieving something by date-X.  Perhaps the secondary task could by some kind of hybrid tradeskill/adventuring mission.. similar in some respects to the Mara missions.  Something like this would add depth and difficulty that might be appropriate and engaging, instead of this silly 'daily' system of otherwise trivialness currently in place.

[Spyrit]

I am actually looking forward to these guys.

I thought for sure it would be one per account but if I am reading this correctly, if I have 9 x 90 Tradeskillers (which I do), I can have 9 Apprentices. Is that correct?

I was in Beta but only for a day and didn't get a chance to play around with them.

[Whilhelmina]

Yes, it is correct. You can have one per level 10+ TS chars.

Every class has class-specific recipes that you'll need to research over time, going to hail your apprentice and do your daily for months.

[Axelia]

I copied a level 30 tailor to beta to check this out. The recipies I got for the tailor were cloth and leather goods that made me drool. The fabled gear is almost 2 times better than mastercrafted gear and just absolutly beautiful in dressing room. All my 9 crafters are going to get an apprentice!

The quest given was to make an apron for my appretice which I got a ton of experience and a experience potion to boast experience 10% for an hour. I came to beta a bit late so I could not get the next day quest.

Just this part of the expansion is going to keep me occupied for a LONG time.

 Edit: When I said here recipies I got I mean the recipies the apprentic will research for you.